Charles Barkley made his first public comments on the NBA pulling the plug on its 40-year relationship with TNT and moving forward with Amazon Prime Video’s offer for NBA broadcasting rights after the 2024-25 season.
The NBA announced its intention to enter into a long-term arrangement with Amazon on Wednesday, stating that Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) failed to match Amazon’s media rights offer. The news potentially marks the heartbreaking end to TNT’s beloved award-winning program, Inside the NBA.
On Friday, Barkley pushed back on the financial aspects of the negotiation and claimed that the NBA intended to break up with TNT “from the beginning.”
Barkley wrote in a statement posted on social media:
“Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I’m not sure TNT ever had a chance. TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn’t want to piss them off.
It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks.
I just want to thank everyone who has been at Turner for the last 24 years. They are the best people and the most talented and they deserve better. I also want to thank the NBA and its fans — the best fans in sports. We’re going to give you everything we have next season.”
Charles Barkley has released a statement on TNT losing its NBA rights — and therefore the end of Inside the NBA. pic.twitter.com/dSxeBhRBOT
— Joe Pompliano (@JoePompliano) July 26, 2024
Barkley is reportedly generating widespread interest ahead of his TV free agency and could command $20 million-plus offers from the NBA’s new media rights partners: Amazon, ABC/ESPN, and NBC. ESPN and Amazon have also expressed interest in bringing over the entire cast of Inside the NBA, per Michael McCarthy of Front Office Sports.
The NBA broadcasting rights saga may still drag on, as TNT has threatened to sue the league.
“We have matched the Amazon offer, as we have a contractual right to do, and do not believe the NBA can reject it,” TNT said in a statement. “We think they have grossly misinterpreted our contractual rights with respect to the 2025-26 season and beyond, and we will take appropriate action.”
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