*ESPN insists that the beloved late-night hoops talkfest “Inside the NBA” will look and feel the same when it joins its lineup in 2025. Kenny Smith isn’t so sure.
The iconic studio show, hosted by Ernie Johnson with Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Smith, will air its final TNT broadcast during this year’s Eastern Conference Finals before moving to ESPN and ABC under the NBA’s new media deal. While Warner Bros. Discovery will continue to produce the program from its Atlanta studio, the network has licensed the intellectual property to ESPN as part of next season’s broadcast overhaul.
In an interview with The New Yorker, Smith questioned how much of the show’s signature rhythm can survive the move. “We have the same crew of people doing the show. But the timing: are we a half hour now? Are we forty-five minutes? Fifteen minutes? Those are the things that you can control when you own your I.P. But we don’t,” Smith said.
“That was the only part that made me uncomfortable and disheartened, because I felt that the four of us should have went into ABC to negotiate that deal. I’m not saying that our executives don’t know how to do that, but we are the I.P. now,” he added.
For years, basketball fans have tuned into TNT on Thursday nights from 7 p.m. and 2 a.m. ET, to catch the iconic quartet. Next season, however, Smith is unsure of the show’s fixed time slot, which could throw off viewers.
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Per Awful Announcing, the lack of clarity has also frustrated Barkley. Over the past year, he’s openly expressed irritation that Warner Bros. Discovery executives finalized the licensing agreement without involving the show’s on-air talent in discussions. Barkley has announced plans to retire from broadcasting after the upcoming season.
The NBA’s new 11-year, $77 billion media deal splits live games among ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, ending TNT’s national broadcast run since 1989. To ease the transition, ESPN will license “Inside the NBA,” airing it on both ESPN and ABC starting in the 2025-26 season, with TNT Sports continuing production.
The arrangement keeps Johnson, Barkley, Smith, and O’Neal together and allows TNT Sports to maintain creative control, producing the show exactly as it does today, except for location broadcasts, which will originate from ESPN events.
“Inside the NBA is universally recognized as one of the best and most culturally impactful shows in sports,” ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro said in a statement. “We have long admired the immensely talented team and are thrilled to add their chemistry and knowledge to our robust set of NBA studio offerings to super-serve NBA fans like never before. The addition of Inside the NBA further solidifies ESPN as the preeminent destination for sports fans.”
ESPN confirmed that the network will continue to produce “NBA Countdown” and “NBA Today.”
“At TNT Sports, we take great pride in our Inside the NBA show and know its success is both a reflection of the iconic talent on set and the incredible people behind the scenes who consistently demonstrate the creativity and craft of our great team,” TNT Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser said in a statement. “We are thrilled to continue to produce Inside the NBA for ESPN and ABC, ensuring fans are able to keep enjoying the magic of this show during the NBA season.”
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