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After 35 seasons on the air, “Inside the NBA” bid adieu to TNT on Saturday night. The show will air on ABC and ESPN next season with hosts Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley returning.

“Look, the four of us, as you’ve already heard, the four of us are going to be together,” Johnson told viewers. “Our production crew is going to be together. It’s going to be that same bunch. We’re still going to be shooting that show in Atlanta. It’s just going to air somewhere else. And so the craziness that you’ve seen, the nonsense and the foolishness and the top-notch basketball analysis, all of that stuff’s going to be on ESPN or ABC next year, not on TNT. For that, we’re sad. But I’m proud to say for the last time, thanks for watching us. It’s the NBA on TNT.

The 2025 NBA playoffs have been nothing short of a gift to the league’s incoming TV rights holders.

NBCUniversal and Amazon Prime Video executives must be swooning with every three-pointer that has dropped since the NBA conference semifinals began on May 5.

The games have been, for the most part, nail-biters – unpredictable, competitive matchups that appear to be sowing the seeds for a new wave of NBA superstars and team rivalries that should play out for years to come. And that is the most welcome news for NBCU, Amazon and Disney – the platforms that inked a massive $76 billion, 11-year TV rights deal with the NBA that kicks in later this year and runs through the 2035-36 frame.

Most of the league’s high-wattage, big city teams – notably the Los Angeles Lakers, Golden State Warriors, Boston Celtics, Miami Heat and Dallas Mavericks – were bounced out of the playoffs early on, or didn’t make the cut.

Lady Gaga and Steven Spielberg were among the winners at the 46th Annual Sports Emmys handed out on May 20 by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS). This marks the first Emmy win for Lady Gaga, who is now just a Tony away from Egot. Spielberg has previously won seven Daytime Emmys, four-time Primetime Emmys, and one International Emmy.

Lady Gaga's victory came in the Outstanding Music Direction category as a producer of "Hold My Hand" ahead of Super Bowl Lix — a tribute to victims of the New Orleans terror attack on New Year's Eve. Spielberg won a pair — for producing and writing the "Land of Stories" opening of the 2024 Summer Olympics.

NBC/Peacock’s coverage of the 2024 Summer Olympics received 10 wins, including Outstanding Live Special Championship Event. Outstanding Personality winners included Charles Barkley (TNT) for studio analyst, Peyton Manning (ESPN2) for event analyst, and Joe Davis (Fox) for play-by-play.

Lady Gaga perhaps was the most high-profile winner at Tuesday’s 46th annual Sports Emmy Awards, but she wasn’t the only one. Hosted by comedian Roy Wood Jr., the Sports Emmys recognized the cream of the crop in 47 categories, including outstanding live special and live series, documentary, journalism, hosts and more.

The New York-based National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences administers the Sports Emmys, which was held at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall. Besides Gaga (who won for her Super Bowl performance of “Hold My Hand” in the outstanding music direction category), key winners included NBC/Peacock for its coverage of the Summer Olympics, which received ten wins, while Steven Spielberg earned two for for producing and writing the “Land of Stories” opening.

TNT’s Charles Barkley was recognized for studio analyst, ESPN’s Peyton Manning for event analyst, and Fox’s Joe Davis for play-by-play.

The 2025 Sports Emmys, produced by the National Academy of Television Arts & Sciences (NATAS), recognize excellence in sports television coverage.

Roy Wood Jr. hosted the ceremony, which took place on Tuesday, May 20, at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City.

During the award show, sports producer David Hill was honored with the Lifetime Achievement award, which was presented by Fox NFL Sunday hosts Michael Strahan, Terry Bradshaw, Curt Menefee, Jimmy Johnson, Howie Long, and Jay Glazer, and a video from Keith Urban.

Lady Gaga won her first Emmy award in the Music Direction category for “Hold My Hand,” which she performed during the Super Bowl Lix pre-game.

Other notable presenters included Kenan Thompson, Scott Van Pelt (ESPN), Charissa Thompson (Prime Video), Greg Olsen (Fox Sports), Lauren Shehadi (MLB Network), Jamie Erdahl (NFL), Carlota Vizmanos (Telemundo Deportes), Kate Scott (CBS Sports) and Anson Carter (TNT).

NBC...

Fans of James Gunn's DC work should get excited about May 9, 2025, because it was just confirmed that a teaser trailer for an upcoming project will be released on that day. A huge year is planned for DC, as Superman, the first theatrical film in Gunn's new Dcu, is slated to hit theaters on July 11, 2026. However, multiple TV shows will also be released this year, including Peacemaker Season 2, which series star Danielle Brooks revealed.

The first teaser trailer for the James Gunn-written & directed Peacemaker Season 2 will officially premiere on Friday, May 9, 2025. During an episode of Inside the NBA that aired during the NBA Playoffs on May 6, host Ernie Johnson announced that the full teaser would drop on that date, but did not specify a time. However, just as Inside the NBA was going to a commercial break, fans were treated to a special 28-second look at the upcoming teaser.

Tuesday’s edition of CBS Mornings turns its attention to the world of sports, with appearances by professional snowboarder Kimmy Fasani and “Inside the NBA” host Ernie Johnson. Fasani, known for her groundbreaking snowboarding skills, will be discussing her journey in the sport and her recent experiences documented in “Butterfly in a Blizzard.” Johnson, a familiar […]

CBS Mornings: Kimmy Fasani, Ernie Johnson...

Charles Barkley went viral during CBS’ coverage of March Madness for calling out his co-host, Kenny Smith.

As the sports broadcasters filled out their NCAA Men’s Tournament bracket, Smith picked his alma mater, the University of North Carolina, to take the championship despite its unfavorability.

“Are you serious?” Barkley asked. “Are you serious? Y’all make fun of me for being unbiased.”

Smith fired back and said, “Listen, I don’t lie about being biased.”

“We’re supposed to be unbiased,” Barkley noted with Smith adding, “No, you’re not.”

Barkley then replied, “What are we, Fox News? What are we, Fox News, in here now? This ain’t Fox News. You don’t have to repeat everything the idiots say every day.”

"We're supposed to be unbiased. What are we, Fox News?! What are we Fox News in here now? This ain't Fox News, we don't have to...

The Wu-Tang Clan hit the floor at Madison Square Garden in a new trailer for their upcoming farewell tour.

The minute-long clip is narrated by Inside the NBA broadcaster Ernie Johnson, who delivers a performance packed with just the right amount of gravitas: “From the slums of Shaolin to the world stage, they have conquered, endured, and remained untouchable,” Johnson says, before listing off the members of the Wu-Tang Clan.

Accompanying Johnson’s narration is footage shot around the Wu-Tang Clan’s hometown of New York City, including the special...

While promoting his new film, A Complete Unknown, in which he plays iconic singer/songwriter Bob Dylan, Timothée Chalamet revealed who else he may like to portray one day. Chalamet appeared on SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up, and per Deadline, said he wouldn’t mind playing an Emmy-winning sports broadcaster in the future.

“What about the Ernie Johnson biopic, the host of Inside the NBA?" suggested the Wonka actor, referring to the 68-year-old host of TNT’s long-running basketball program, Inside the NBA, which seemed like an interesting pick if he was serious about it since at 28 years old, Chalamet is 40 years younger than Johnson.

Who is Ernie Johnson?

Johnson has won six Emmys for his work in sports broadcasting and is a member of the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, and is known as “The Godfather” by his co-hosts Shaquille O’Neal, Charles Barkley, and Kenny Smith.

Morning Mash...

Timothée Chalamet is in no danger of being typecast.

Asked on SiriusXM’s The Morning Mash Up who would he like to play if he were to do another biopic, the actor, who plays Bob Dylan in A Complete Unknown, went deep with his answer on the sports-themed show.

Chalamet didn’t choose a legendary underdog like U.S. Olympic Hockey captain Mike Eruzione. He didn’t choose a colorful insider a la Ted Lasso. The 28-year-old didn’t even choose someone close to his own age.

“What about the Ernie Johnson biopic, the host of Inside the NBA?”

Johnson, for those who don’t know, is the 68-year-old longtime host of TNT’s Emmy-winning talker. Known more for colorful his bow ties and gentle demeanor than his cool factor, Johnson is nevertheless a very thoughtful choice, whether Chalamet was serious about it or not.

Ernie Johnson on air before...

While celebrating his fourth Golden Globe nomination, Timothée Chalamet admitted that writing acceptance speeches ahead of time made him feel like a “narcissistic prick.”

The actor, who is again nominated for his portrayal of Bob Dylan in the biopic “A Complete Unknown,” told SiriusXM host Nicole Ryan, “There’s nothing more uniquely hilarious and something you cannot share with anyone when you get home and you tear up the little thing that you never had to use and you think to yourself, ‘You narcissistic prick.’ On what planet did you think you were gonna use this?”

Chalamet previously earned Golden Globe nominations for his performances in “Wonka,” “Beautiful Boy” and “Call Me By Your Name,” none of which he won (he also received an Oscar nomination for the Luca Guadagnino movie).

Chalamet then asked Ryan and co-hosts Ryan Sampson and Stanley T if he could “say whatever I want” on the satellite radio station,...

The celebrity golf tournament will feature some of the game’s biggest names, competing for a multi-million dollar prize.

Bryson DeChambeau, Brooks Koepka, Rory McIlroy, and Scottie Scheffler are some of the hottest names in golf, and they’ll share the same course on Tuesday, Dec. 17 starting at 6 p.m. Et when The Crpyto.com Showdown begins on TNT, TBS, truTV, and Max. The tournament will see the four golfers competing for multi-million-dollar cryptocurrency purse, the first of its kind. Viewers can stream the tournament live on Max, or with a three-day free trial of Directv Stream.

How to watch The Crypto.com Showdown golf tournament When: Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 6 p.m. Et TV: TNT, TBS, truTV, and Max Stream: Watch with a three-day free trial of Directv Stream. 5-Day Free Trial $86.99+ / month directv.com/stream

Choose $15 Off each month for the first 2 months of Entertainment with Sports Pack or...

Shaquille “Shaq” O’Neal recently made a commotion on Inside the NBA. The basketball star ended up walking off the set after rapper Jay-Z was awkwardly brought up. This comes out after the rapper had been named in a refiled lawsuit, claiming he and Sean “Diddy” Combs had raped an underage girl.

Jay-Z Got Brought Up In A Conversation With The Panelists

Inside the NBA is a halftime and postgame show for NBA broadcasts. Host Ernie Johnson is joined by a team of analysts.

O’Neal has served as an analyst on the show since 2011. He is joined by Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley, who joined the show in 1998 and 2000, respectively.

Jay-Z – YouTube

During the December 10 broadcast, the panelists reacted to a tweet from Stephen A. Smith concerning who he could play against these days. Barkley notably told Smith, “You said the man isn’t on your level.” He continued,...

Warner Bros. Discovery has been sued by investors who claim that the media conglomerate lied about potential fallout from its loss of NBA rights.

A proposed class action, filed in New York federal court on Monday, accuses Wbd of mischaracterizing the impact that losing rights to regular and postseason games for its TNT network would have on its business. In August, a month after the NBA officially rejected Wbd’s offer to match the rights package that it cut with Amazon, the company took a $9.1 billion goodwill impairment charge related to the depreciation of its TV networks, which accounts for its failure to renew its deal with the league. The company’s stock fell by nearly nine percent in after-hours trading the day the announcement was made.

TNT has been a broadcast partner with the NBA since 1988, paying an annual average fee of $1.2 billion under its existing agreement with the league.

Bill Murray, Wayne Gretzky, and more compete for $1 million in this epic golf event.

Start practicing your golf swing for a date with “The Match: Superstars,” a two-night primetime golf event airing live on TNT and streaming on Max on Thursday, Nov. 21, and Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:30 p.m. Et. Set at Breakers West Country Club in West Palm Beach, Florida, this unique event brings together celebrities and sports legends in an exciting, star-studded golf showdown. This is one golf event that won’t disappoint… especially with a $1 million prize on the line. Watch all the golf action with a subscription to Sling TV.

How to watch ‘The Match: Superstars’ When: Thursday, Nov. 21, 2024 at 7:30 p.m. Et TV: TNT Stream: Watch with a subscription to Sling TV. Get 50% Off $40+ / month sling.com

Limited Time: Get 50% Off Your First Month of Sling TV

Everything you need to know to...

If he can’t beat them, ESPN chief Jimmy Pitaro is still willing to do business with them.

A creative deal that will bring what is perhaps America’s favorite sports studio show to Disney after years of it airing on Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT spotlights a growing willingness at ESPN to take a “curation” approach to game-day concepts and content. Some of the biggest deals at ESPN in recent years aren’t ones that start new formats or series, but rather the type that make ESPN a perch for sports personalities who have already proven popular somewhere else.

The new pact, unveiled formally Monday after leaking over the weekend, makes “Inside the NBA” an ESPN property as far as fans are concerned. To be sure, Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports will continue to produce the show from Atlanta over the term of the pact, which commences with the 2025-26 NBA season.

Live games will move off TNT in 2025, but a creative settlement allows Wbd to save some face.

The NBA has one less headache on its plate. The league has agreed to a settlement deal with Warner Bros. Discovery, putting an end to a desperate effort by the company to keep its hands on a package of live NBA games past the end of the 2024-25 season. Those games are officially moving on to Amazon’s streaming service Prime Video, but Wbd did win a few concessions in the settlement, and as part of another deal have made an arrangement to keep the beloved “Inside the NBA” studio show alive.

Key Details: Wbd will continue to distribute NBA games in areas like Latin America and Northern Europe. “Inside the NBA” will be licensed to ABC and ESPN in a separate deal. Wbd will get the rights to some Big 12 college football...

(From left) Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on the set of “NBA on TNT” in November 2023. (Still frame via TNT Sports broadcast)

The National Basketball Association (NBA) and Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) have reached a settlement in a civil lawsuit filed over television rights to a package of NBA games.

The rights deal is scheduled to start with the 2025-26 season — in other words, next year — when a package of games will move from Wbd-owned TNT Sports to Amazon’s streaming service, Prime Video. Wbd sued shortly after the deal was announced, saying their current TV contract required the NBA to weigh counter-offers to retain the package against bids from challengers. The Desk was the first to report Wbd was considering a lawsuit. Amazon was not a party to the matter.

On Saturday, the Wall Street Journal said the NBA and Wbd were set to announce...

TNT Sports is rebooting its golf event series The Match with a twist: It will pit teams of A-list stars and all-star athletes against each other, in primetime, over the course of two nights, in what it is calling The Match: Superstars.

TNT Sports has lined up celebrities including Bill Murray, Mark Wahlberg and Nate Bargatze, as well as NBA legend and Inside the NBA analyst Charles Barkley, all-time NHL great and NHL on TNT analyst Wayne Gretzky, Olympics legend Michael Phelps, former MLB star Ken Griffey Jr. and former NBA star Blake Griffin, who will team up in pairs for match play.

The Match: Superstars will be held Nov. 21 and Nov. 22, and will simulcast on TNT and Max in primetime. Ernie Johnson will host, joined by 2008 Masters Champion Trevor Immelman, two-time Masters champion Bubba Watson and Kathryn Tappen.

The teams will see Murray and Gretzky paired up to face Barkley and Griffey,...

Charles Barkley once claimed he wasn’t a role model. But his most recent action seems to belie that.

Barkley said on the Dan Le Batard Show podcast today that he left a minimum of $100 million “on the table” to stay with Turner Sports. His decision to remain with Warner Bros. Discovery’s sports division came after TNT was left out of the NBA’s 11-year media rights deal.

Since TNT Sports lost that contract scrum, the NBA’s upcoming 2024-25 season will be its last with TNT, as the league moves on in 2025-26 to the NBA’s new 11-year deal for games with ESPN parent The Walt Disney Company, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video.

“The No. 1 thing for me is my people from Turner get to keep their jobs for at least another year,” Barkley, told Le Batard. “That’s all I was concerned with.”

The decision was not easy.

Barkley promised earlier this year to retire if Wbd lost its NBA package, but it appears he’s changed his mind.

Arguably the loudest outcry about TNT potentially losing its NBA rights package to Prime Video starting in 2025 has been generated by fans who are upset about the presumed loss of “Inside the NBA.” The popular studio show hosted by Ernie Johnson and featuring Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith has been a mainstay of TNT’s NBA coverage for years, but it appeared doomed earlier this summer when Barkley pledged to retire after the 2024-25 season. It seems that Sir Charles has now changed his mind as he released a statement earlier this week pledging to stick with TNT for the long haul.

Key Details: Barkley’s statement included a line saying he would remain with TNT Sports for “multiple years to come.” NBC and Amazon have both...

Stephen A. Smith is riled up. Sort of. During a mid-July call from his New Jersey home, the conversation turns to labels and he’s suddenly yelling into the receiver: “I’m not a podcaster! I just happen to be doing a podcast.” The combative orator of ESPN morning flagship First Take and, yes, his eponymous podcast leans into his persona, but also sheds it just as quickly. “I’m sorry, could you hold on? My daughter’s giving me an ugly look,” he says, his tone changing as he turns his attention to one of his two children. “Daddy just has to finish this.”

Then he’s back to his thunderous monologue, the kind that has helped propel Smith to the upper echelon of sports media. His 2019 contract extension with ESPN made him the highest-paid talent in network history. And while his salary has since been eclipsed by Troy Aikman,...

“Inside the NBA” analyst Charles Barkley is canceling his retirement plans to continue contributing to TNT Sports’ coverage for “years to come.”

“I love my TNT Sports family. My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do,” he said in a statement. “I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me.”

The reversal comes after the host, who previously signed a 10-year agreement with the network in 2022, said in June that the 2024-25 season would be his last and that he didn’t plan to join any other network in the event that Warner Bros. Discovery lost the media rights to the NBA.

(From left) Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on the set of “NBA on TNT” in November 2023. (Still frame via TNT Sports broadcast)

Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) has made good on its threat to “take appropriate action” against the National Basketball Association (NBA) after the league rejected an offer from the broadcaster to keep its live basketball games on TNT Sports beyond this upcoming season.

The deal, announced on Wednesday, shifts the NBA package of games previously offered by TNT and other Wbd-owned cable channels to Amazon’s Prime Video through the 2032-33 season.

The league’s current TV rights package afforded Wbd the opportunity to match a bid by any interested broadcast party during the negotiation period for the new TV package. Wbd says it did just that, offering to top Prime Video’s offer of $1.8 billion per year for the package of games.

The NBA...

Warner Bros. Discovery and Turner Brodcasting have filed a lawsuit against the NBA over its decision to reject the company’s matching rights proposal and move forward with media rights deals with Amazon, NBC and Disney.

The complaint was filed under seal in the New York County Supreme Court on Friday by Wbd’s lawyers, Weil, Gotshal & Manges Llp.

“Given the NBA’s unjustified rejection of our matching of a third-party offer, we have taken legal action to enforce our rights,” TNT Sports said in a statement. “We strongly believe this is not just our contractual right, but also in the best interest of fans who want to keep watching our industry-leading NBA content with the choice and flexibility we offer them through our widely distributed Wbd video-first distribution platforms – including TNT and Max.”

According to the complaint obtained by TheWrap, Wbd and Turner allege that the NBA breached its...

Turner Sports host Charles Barkley has never held back from criticizing his own employer, but in a statement Friday he shifted his ire to the NBA and team owners for choosing “money over the fans.”

The NBA Hall of Famer, a co-host of Turner studio show Inside the NBA, had previously ripped Turner parent Warner Bros. Discovery for the way it approached negotiations with the league. As a current rights holder through the end of the 2024-25 season, Wbd had an exclusive window of talks but reportedly balked at the price. The NBA then went on to seal deals with the other incumbent, Disney-ESPN, as well as NBCUniversal and Amazon. The three packages are worth $77 billion over 11 years. When Wbd asserted its rights to match Amazon’s offer, the league rejected it, prompting the media company to vow “appropriate action,” likely of the legal variety.

“Clearly the NBA has...

Charles Barkley thinks it “sucks” that the NBA has chosen to end its decades-long partnership with basic cable network TNT in favor of a streaming deal with Amazon.

The Inside the NBA analyst released a statement Friday in which he laments the league’s recently announced, multi-billion dollar media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon — a deal that ends a 36-year relationship with Turner Sports — and accuses the NBA of choosing “money over the fans.” His remarks come after TNT owner Warner Bros. Discovery attempted to match Amazon’s offer for the NBA’s third-tier package, but the NBA...

Charles Barkley has weighed in on Warner Bros. Discovery’s loss of the NBA after the league rejected the media conglomerate’s matching proposal and chose to move forward with deals with Amazon, NBC and Disney.

The deals, reportedly worth a collective $76 billion, will take effect starting in the 2025-26 season and run through 2036. Some 75 regular-season games will be on broadcast TV each season, up from the minimum of 15 games under the current agreement.

“Clearly the NBA 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,” the “Inside the NBA” analyst said in a statement on Friday. “It’s a sad day when...

If Wbd’s legal options don’t avail, fans will have to say goodbye to the beloved ‘Inside the NBA’ crew.

A reality in which TNT is no longer an NBA broadcast partner is looming ever closer. On Wednesday, the league informed TNT’s parent company Warner Bros. Discovery that it was rejecting an offer to “match” Amazon’s price of $1.8 billion per season for the NBA’s “C” rights parcel. That means that unless some sort of miracle occurs, the “Inside the NBA” studio show that has become a staple of games on TNT will likely go off the air following the 2024-25 season, or at least in the form that fans know and love today. This has caused a good deal of understandable outcry from fans, but judging from ratings in the 2023-24 season, the NBA’s confidence that it can survive without “Inside the NBA” seems well-founded.

(From left) Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on the set of “NBA on TNT” in November 2023. (Still frame via TNT Sports broadcast)

Officials at Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) have criticized the National Basketball Association for rejecting its last-minute bid for the rights to some nationally-televised basketball games.

On Wednesday, the league announced a multi-year agreement with Comcast’s NBC Sports and Amazon’s Prime Video that will effectively move nationally-televised games from TNT Sports to their broadcast and streaming platforms, starting next year.

Wbd has held the rights to NBA games since the late 1980s, and assumed expanded broadcast responsibilities for professional basketball after the games left NBC in 2002. Under its existing telecast agreement, Wbd had the right to make a competing or higher bid for games in the face of a competing offer, which Comcast and Amazon made.

Last week, after the NBA’s Board...

Cue the “Roundball Rock”: The NBA is returning to NBC for the first time in more than two decades, with the pro basketball league signing a multi-billion dollar media rights deal with Disney, NBC and Amazon — a deal that ends the league’s relationship with Turner Sports and TNT that began in 1988.

The new 11-year deal will begin with the 2025-26 NBA season, with Disney paying a reported $2.6 billion per year for the league’s “A” package to air on ESPN and ABC, which includes the NBA Finals, playoff games (with a conference final), weekly primetime games and more.

Warner Bros. Discovery is making a play to keep NBA rights, telling the league that it will match Amazon’s bid for a package of games.

The company said in a statement Monday afternoon that it intends to match Amazon’s bid, which is for about $1.8 billion per year, or more than $20 billion over the course of the deal. Wbd did not mention Amazon by name, but a source says that it is targeting the package from the tech giant.

“In an effort to continue our long-standing partnership, during both exclusive and non-exclusive negotiation periods, we acted in good faith to present strong bids that were fair to both parties,” TNT Sports said in a statement. “Regrettably, the league notified us of its intention to accept other offers for the games in our current rights package, leaving us to proceed under the matching rights provision, which is an integral part...

(From left) Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on the set of “NBA on TNT” in November 2023. (Still frame via TNT Sports broadcast)

Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) says it will air nearly 1,000 hours of live sports on its basic cable network Tru TV this year, with plans to significantly increase the amount of live and ancillary sports programming on the channel into 2025.

On Tuesday, Wbd executives affirmed Tru TV will incorporate more of the TNT Sports brand this fall when the channel adds more live events and coverage of the MLB post-season, NBA, NHL, U.S. Men’s and Women’s National Soccer Teams, Mountain West football, MotoGP and other athletic competitions.

In addition to the expanded programming schedule, Wbd says the TNT Sports brand and related graphics will be “dynamically integrated” into the programming schedule on Tru TV. The company didn’t reveal the specific strategy behind that move,...

Charles Barkley announces his retirement from broadcasting. Barkley will depart his position on Inside the NBA following the 2024-2025 season. In addition to his memorable NBA career and all of his athletic accolades garnered as a result, the former basketball player won a total of five Sports Emmys against 10 nominations as a broadcaster.

One of the most entertaining sports analysts known as the "Round Mound of Rebound" during his playing days is calling it quits. Following Game 4 of the NBA Finals between the Boston Celtics (3-1) and the Dallas Mavericks (1-3) on Friday, June 14, the Space Jam (1996) star Charles Barkley announced that he will be leaving his co-host position on Inside the NBA behind for retirement after one more year of service. That coincides with his original contract coming to an end after the 2024-2025 season. However, Barkley did sign a new 10-year deal back in 2023, but he said during...

TNT may be on the verge of losing the NBA… and its most famous broadcaster.

Former NBA great Charles Barkley, who co-hosts TNT’s NBA coverage and Inside the NBA postgame show, says he’ll retire from broadcasting at the end of the 2024-25 NBA season. That coincides with the end of TNT’s current rights deal with the NBA, with rumors swirling that TNT may lose those rights to NBC and Amazon in the next deal.

More from TVLineJerry West, NBA Legend, Dead at 86: 'The Personification of Basketball Excellence'Indy 500 2024: How to Watch the Annual Race Online Without...

Charles Barkley is blocking Warner Bros. Discovery’s drive to the net.

The basketball legend added a new wrinkle to Warner’s ongoing efforts to retain media rights to the NBA late Friday evening by announcing he would retire from his announcing duties on “Inside the NBA,” the influential TNT program he has co-hosted for years.

“I have made the decision myself,” Barkley said during televised remarks on NBA TV following Game 4 of the NBA Finals. “No matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.”

Barkley said he would not move to another network, no matter how the NBA decides to parcel out a new package of rights it has largely negotiated with NBCUniversal, Disney and Amazon. Warner Bros. Discovery’s contract to show NBA games expires after the 2024-2025 season. Warner is hoping to carve out a small fourth package of games, but...

Warner Bros. Discovery’s bid to stay in the business of basketball is anything but a slam dunk.

The media company has signaled in recent days to the NBA that it would like to discuss the prospect of carving out a small package of game rights to go alongside those already negotiated with Disney, Amazon and NBCUniversal, according to people familiar with the talks. Current NBA media rights are owned by Disney and Warner, but the contract behind them lapses after the 2024-2025 season, and the league has been in discussions with media companies for weeks over new contracts.

Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA did not reach new terms during a recent window of exclusivity, these people said, but Warner would like the league to consider the idea of a “fourth package” — potentially to keep Warner from pressing what it believes are its rights to match the terms struck...

(From left) Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Charles Barkley on the set of “NBA on TNT” in November 2023. (Still frame via TNT Sports broadcast)

Long-term national telecast rights to a package of NBA games are still up in the air after next season, and the CEO of Warner Bros Discovery (Wbd) says it would be wrong to count them out.

At an investor event last Thursday, Wbd CEO David Zaslav said his company still wants to be known as “a leader in the sports world,” and is still interested in grabbing some NBA games after its current rights deal expires next year.

Currently, ESPN and Wbd’s TNT Sports share national broadcast rights to the NBA’s regular season and playoff games. ESPN holds the rights to the NBA “A” package, while TNT Sports airs the “B” package of games.

Sports and financial news outlets have rumored that...

TNT is a great channel for dramas and NBA basketball. It is possible to watch the channel on Roku, and you can do it for free. Here’s all you need to know.

Choose Your Service Provider

TNT is available on Directv Stream, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Each of these services provides live TV without a cable subscription. There’s also no contract, so you’re free to pay by month and cut them loose whenever you need. Each of these services is compatible with your Roku device.

We recommend Directv Stream, since it offers a free trial, an unlimited cloud DVR, and more channels than any other provider.

5-Day Free Trial $79.99+ / month directv.com/stream

Subscribe Now and get Max, Paramount+, Starz, and MGM+ free for three months

Another great option is Hulu Live TV. During your 3-day free trial, you’ll get 33 of the top 35 cable channels,...

The rivalry between Disney and Warner Bros. represents one of the most long-lasting and dynamic business competitions in the entertainment industry. Their rivalry has been deeply rooted as it has existed since the 1920s, and it originated from both studios having humble beginnings to becoming powerhouses in terms of filmmaking and creating content to entertain its audience.

Bob Iger, The CEO of Disney. Credits: nagi usano/ Wikimedia Commons

While both studios are great in their own spheres it looks like Disney has the upper hand as it looks like they have overtaken their rivals in the race to sign an exciting deal with the NBA, and Warner Bros. can not do anything about it as their financial conditions are restricting them from making any lucrative offer to the National Basketball Association as they are already struggling to clear their $40 billion debt.

Warner Bros. Falls Behind Disney in The Race To...

The star power of the NBA playoffs is still shining brightly, and the 2024 Western Conference Finals will be packed with big-name stars! The 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals start on Wednesday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m. Et, and will be broadcast on TNT, which means they’ll also stream live on Max. See Luka Doncic and the Dallas Mavericks try to take down Anthony Edwards and the red-hot Minnesota Timberwolves for a chance to head to the NBA Finals live with a subscription to Max or with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV.

How to Watch 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals, Dallas Mavericks vs. Minnesota Timberwolves When: Starts Wednesday, May 22 at 8:30 p.m. Et TV: TNT, Max Stream: Watch with a three-day trial to Hulu + Live TV.

Viewers can watch each game of the 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals with a subscription to Max.

Free 3-Day Trio Trial $76.99+ / month hulu.com About 2024 NBA Western Conference Finals,...

TNT is a great channel for dramas and NBA basketball. It is possible to watch the channel on Firestick, and you can do it for free. Here’s all you need to know.

Choose Your Service Provider

TNT is available on Directv Stream, Hulu Live TV, Sling TV, and YouTube TV. Each of these services provides live TV without a cable subscription. There’s also no contract, so you’re free to pay by month and cut them loose whenever you need. Each of these services is compatible with your Fire TV device.

We recommend Directv Stream, since it offers a free trial, an unlimited cloud DVR, and more channels than any other provider.

5-Day Free Trial $79.99+ / month directv.com/stream

Subscribe Now and get Max, Paramount+, Starz, and MGM+ free for three months

Another great option is Hulu Live TV. During your 3-day free trial, you’ll get 33 of the top 35 cable channels,...

Basketball legend Shaquille O’Neal may have raised concerns with fans as he missed his recent television show appearance.

The four-time NBA champion regularly appears as one of TNT’s hosts on Inside the NBA, alongside Ernie Johnson, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Charles Barkley.

The Emmy-winning crew has covered NBA games on TNT throughout many seasons and special events such as the All-Star Game and the playoffs.

Several days ago, Shaq was not among the hosts as the program opened its coverage of a big playoff game with another retired basketball star in his seat.

Ernie introduced Vince Carter as one of the hosts for Sunday’s playoff game coverage, indicating that he was there filling in for Shaq.

Meanwhile, Shaq posted an intriguing message on his social media, which received much attention.

Shaq shared a message about being ‘replaced’ amid uncertainty over future with TNT

On his Instagram, Shaq...

Even as it faces a full-court press from investors curious to know if it will retain rights to show games from the NBA, Warner Bros. Discovery has been courting sports from a different field.

Warner Bros. Discovery has struck a deal with rival ESPN, according to two people familiar with the matter, that will have the former sub-licensing a small number of college football playoff games over a five-year period starting later this year. TNT will be the lead media network for broadcast of two first-round games this year and next, and then will add two quarterfinals starting in 2026.

The deal surfaces as Warner Bros. Discovery remains enmeshed in critical discussions with the NBA about renewing long-standing media rights. Warner and the NBA have been allied since 1989, with the relationship growing so strong that Warner has helped operate the NBA’s cable network and manage some of its digital properties.

Charles Barkley, one of the mainstays of the long-venerated studio show Inside the NBA — which won yet another Sports Emmy last night — says the current media rights situation “sucks right now” for Warner Bros. Discovery staffers.

About 200 jobs could be lost, Barkley said in an interview Wednesday on SiriusXM, if Wbd loses out to NBCUniversal. (Listen to a clip below.)

“It just sucks right now for the people I work with,” Barkley said. “I’m worried about all the people I work with. I just turned 61. I’ve got enough money.”

Related: TNT Sports Reaches 5-Year Deal With ESPN To Exclusively Air Select College Football Playoff Games

Sports Business Journal reported earlier Wednesday that a deal could be completed as soon as next week. Wbd’s Turner Sports, which has carried NBA games for nearly four decades, could potentially lose out to NBCUniversal. Disney/ESPN and Amazon have reportedly reached...

There is a chance TNT's Inside the NBA will be cancelled after the NBA Playoffs.

Inside the NBA is a post-game show for NBA on TNT broadcasts, hosted by Ernie Johnson since 1990, with analysts (and former players) Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, and Shaquille O'Neal. 

Smith joined Johnson full-time in 1998, while Barkley, notorious for his bold statements, joined the show in 2000. The now beloved quartet rounded out when Shaq came on board in 2011, introducing the famous 'Shaqtin' a Fool' segment.

Read full article on The Direct.

Super Bowl Lviii on CBS and “Toy Story Funday Football” on Disney+ and ESPN+ led this year’s tally of Sports Emmys winners, with three each, as announced Tuesday evening by the New York-based National Academy of Television Arts and Sciences.

Hosted by The Kid Mero, the 45th annual Sports Emmy Awards featured the presentation of the Lifetime Achievement Honor to sportscaster and three-time Emmy Award-winner James Brown, by Sean McManus. Presenters included Siera Santos (MLB Network), Mina Kimes (ESPN), Pedro Martinez (Wbc Sports), Noah Eagle (NBC Sports), Tom Rinaldi (Fox Sports), Kaylee Hartung (Amazon), Mina Kimes (ESPN), Valeria Marin (Univision), Miguel Gurwitz (Telemundo Deportes), Kyle Brandt (NFL Network), Nate Burleson (CBS Sports / Nickelodeon), Jaren Jackson Jr. (Memphis Grizzlies) and Tracy Wolfson (CBS Sports).

Winners were presented in 46 categories. Here are this year’s winners; see the full list of nominees here:

Outstanding Live Special

· Super Bowl Lviii: Kansas City Chiefs vs.

The Super Bowl, “Monday Night Football,” “Inside the NBA Playoffs,” the NFL draft and “Real Sports With Bryant Gumball” were among the winners at the 45th Sports Emmy Awards. The ceremony was hosted by The Kid Mero at Frederick P. Rose Hall in New York City on Tuesday night.

Read on for the complete list of winners from the 2024 Sports Emmy Awards.

Outstanding Live Special

Super Bowl Lviii

Kansas City Chiefs vs. San Francisco 49ers

CBS

Outstanding Live Series

Monday Night Football with Peyton & Eli

ESPN2

[Omaha Productions]

Outstanding Playoff Coverage

American League Championship Series

Houston Astros vs. Texas Rangers

Fox | FS1

Outstanding Edited Event Coverage

NFL Game Day All Access

Super Bowl Lviii

YouTube

[NFL Films]

Outstanding Edited Special

You Are Looking Live!

CBS

[NFL Films]

Outstanding Hosted Edited Series

Real Sports with Bryant Gumbel

HBO | Max

Outstanding Esports Championship Coverage

League of Legends Worlds 2023 Final

T1 vs. Weibo Gaming

LoLEsports.com | Twitch...

A new report indicates sources in the sports and media world are increasingly convinced the NBA is about to depart TNT.

So will there be a new version of “Roundball Rock,” or will NBC just dust off the John Tesh original starting in 2025? That decision could be on the minds of Comcast executives these days, as they attempt to win a package of NBA rights in the basketball league’s next national broadcasting deal. The company has lodged a $2.5 billion per year bid for a bundle that would include regular season and playoff games, but it has to worry about a challenge from Warner Bros. Discovery, which has been broadcasting NBA games for nearly 35 years. A new report from the Sports Business Journal reveals that NBC is currently in the lead NBA’s third parcel of games, and details how messy the fight between the two contenders just might get.