TNT’s 36-year partnership with the NBA officially ended on Saturday, as the network’s coverage of the Eastern Conference Finals wrapped up with a six-game Indiana series win over New York.
Broadcast rights negotiations with TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery fell apart last year, and ultimately the NBA opted to split its rights between ABC/ESPN, NBC, and Amazon Prime Video. TNT Sports did secure the rights to broadcast games beyond the U.S., including in parts of Latin America and in Nordic countries, writes Richard Deitsch of The Athletic.
Although TNT’s relationship with the league is officially over, its impact will endure, according to The Athletic’s Deitsch and James Jackson.
“If I had written the script, the NBA and TNT would be together forever,” TNT’s ‘Inside The NBA’ mainstay Ernie Johnson said during his last statement while broadcasting an NBA game for the network. ‘Inside The NBA’ broadcasts will move to ESPN/ABC next season. “It’s not going to happen, but while I was disappointed, I was sad, I was not bitter. We know how business works. Gratitude is the operative word for me.”
Deitsch and Jackson caution that the unpredictable, free-flowing nature of ‘Inside The NBA’ broadcasts may be hampered when the program is aired on a new network.
There’s more from around the basketball world:
- With just two teams’ seasons still going, Zach Buckley of Bleacher Report takes stock of what all 30 league clubs must address and correct this summer. Notably, Buckley observes that the Hawks need to determine a direction for their future, as they have struggled lately to balance veteran All-Star Trae Young with their intriguing younger players, while Buckley recommends that the Pistons need to find a true co-star for All-NBA guard Cade Cunningham, suggesting that Jaden Ivey, Tobias Harris and free agent Malik Beasley may just not cut it.
- Although not every team has the funds to sign them, Mo Dakhil of Bleacher Report lists five free agent players who have clearly earned significant raises with their play in 2024/25, including Timberwolves big man Naz Reid (who holds a player option) and Cavaliers guard Ty Jerome.
- The Thunder are gearing up for their first NBA Finals appearance in 13 seasons — chump change compared to the Pacers’ 25-year wait. In an extensive Finals preview, Eric Nehm and Kelly Iko of The Athletic take stock of the teams’ two regular season encounters (which Oklahoma City won 2-0), pick the most critical matchups to watch, identify X-factors, and make their predictions. Meanwhile, Zach Kram and Kevin Pelton of ESPN unpack seven key elements that could determine the outcome of this impending series, which tips off on Thursday.
That TNT crew will never be replicated. Adam Silver is a greedy SOB.
The whole crew will be back. Who cares if TNT lost rights? I mean you wanna be mad be mad at WBD for low balling and thinking they could legal their way into forcing the NBA back. I could give a crap which mega corporation is cashing the checks on the ads.
Inside the NBA is staying around and all the people involved are staying with the same studio. I think ESPN knows they were gaining a well established product thats one of the most popular in the sports world so I think they will probably let them keep doing their thing as long as its working.
It was a bit much honestly all the hand wringing over what basically amounts to a network change over. Like oh boo hoo were all going to be back in oct. Lets just spend a while stroking each others ego like its all some farewell tour when nobodys F-ing going anywhere…
RIP nba on tnt
NBA on TNT has been terrible ever since Shaq joined. He’s as sensitive as a teen girl and argues with Chuck just to argue. Takes the air out of all of the segments.
I feel the same way, at least it was still kinda funny when Shaq first joined. I think it stopped being funny when they returned from the bubble.
Id say after Shaq’ sister died is the marker…
Before that it was simple bafoonery..
Shaq is the worst of them and provides no analyst. The advice he rarely gives to players is basic.
Really interesting how Ernie acknowledges the NBA has a script…wish he elaborated on that
It is just the end of basketball on TNT, the cast and behind the scenes team are all apparently staying. ESPN may not bother them much, I do think they will influence a bit like if someone takes the night off we get Perk sitting in or Legler(who wouldn’t be so bad). It will likely be the highest program ESPN gets in terms of coverages. They don’t have good pre game or post game teams in any sport.
I think the new cba rules will mess up the league a bit bc I don’t know if there’s enough teams with enough money to pay what each player wants or even what he’d settle for. Jazz hornets wizards etc have the money but won’t want to be contenders by signing older guys, and even if they do I still don’t know if there’s enough money to go around with the cba restrictions
Not with the whole current tax situation. Every one of those non tax teams gets like 15M from the tax payers now. Thats on top of other revenue sharing like small market teams getting an equal part of the national broadcast revenue, which alone basically can cover your payroll.
ESPN should’ve hired some of TNT’s announcers/analysts while they were at it.
I would be so glad if I never had to hear Charles Barkley utter another word