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Charles Barkley, ‘Inside the NBA’ to air on ESPN and ABC starting next season
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Charles Barkley, ‘Inside the NBA’ to air on ESPN and ABC starting next season

“Inside the NBA” will appear on ESPN and ABC starting next season as part of a deal between Warner Bros. Discovery and the NBA.

Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, sued the NBA in New York state court after the league failed to accept the company’s matching offer for one of the packages in its new contract. media rights of 11 years, which will begin with the 2025-26 season.

The settlement is expected to be announced Monday, three people with knowledge of the deal told The Associated Press Saturday evening.

The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the litigation is still ongoing. The deadline for the lawsuit to be dismissed is Tuesday.

The settlement was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.

Although “Inside the NBA” will air on ESPN and ABC beginning in the 2025-26 season, TNT Sports will continue to produce the popular studio show and it will air from Atlanta, except when the show goes on the road.

The quartet of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will remain on the series. Barkley signed an extension with WBD in August despite the company losing the NBA.

“Inside the NBA” is expected to air at key times in the league schedule: opening night, Christmas Day, the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It’s also likely that the series will air on Saturday nights during the second half of the season, when ABC has a prime-time game package.

The settlement grants TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a worldwide content license for NBA content without rights fees for the next 11 years.

Warner Bros. Discovery will also continue its relationships with the league’s digital operations, including NBA.comfor five seasons.

Although TNT Sports will not broadcast games in the United States starting next season, it has the rights to broadcast a full package of games in certain countries, including Latin America and Poland.

TNT Sports will also begin broadcasting Big 12 football and men’s basketball games next season under a sublicense with ESPN. TNT will broadcast two College Football Playoff games starting this season, also under a sublicense with ESPN.

Warner Bros. Discovery acquired the rights to the French Open tennis tournament as well as Big East basketball earlier this year.

Turner Sports has offered an NBA package since 1984 and games have been broadcast on TNT since the network launched in 1988. That will end after this season.