Basketball fans rage after Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal’s ‘Inside the NBA’ show on TNT is AXED ‘as network loses TV rights’
NBA fans mourned the “end of an era” after it emerged that TNT’s hit show “Inside the NBA” is under threat of extinction.
The league is reportedly close to signing television deals with ESPN, Amazon and NBC totaling $7.4 billion per year.
According to Sports business magazinethe NBA is formalizing written contracts with all three companies this week as negotiations enter the “final phase.”
It would be a major blow to TNT, “Inside the NBA” and the show’s beloved analysts Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal.
As it looks now, the show will air for the last time next season and the development sparked a huge backlash from NBA fans who expressed a mix of sadness and anger over the news.
NBA fans mourned the ‘end of an era’ after it emerged ‘Inside the NBA’ is facing the ax
“End of an era,” one person wrote alongside the broken heart emoji. Another account called this “the worst news in NBA history.”
TNT has built a beloved broadcast crew of O’Neal, Barkley, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson.
An LA Clippers fan posted a gif of the four alongside the caption “The last dance,” a reference to the hit Netflix show about Michael Jordan and the Chicago Bulls. Another simply added: ‘Never thought this would end.’
Some fans took aim at NBA chief Adam Silver, with one user telling the commissioner: “The money wasn’t worth it. We all lost.”
The NBA is reportedly close to signing television deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon
ESPN will reportedly pay $2.8 billion a year for the league’s highest-rated games, including the NBA finals, a conference finals, weekly primetime clashes and the WNBA.
NBC, meanwhile, plans to allocate $2.6 billion annually for the “B” package, which would likely include a show called “Basketball Night in America” that airs on Sunday nights after the NFL season.
According to SBJ, NBC would also secure a conference semifinal, a conference final and two primetime slots per week.
Amazon’s deal – which would reportedly be worth up to $2 billion – would involve the In-Season Tournaments, first-round playoff games and the WNBA. The final changes to the deal are expected to be ironed out in the coming week.