TNT ‘loses NBA rights’ in HUGE blow for fan favorites Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal… with the league set to scoop $7.4BILLION a year in deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon instead’

NBA chiefs will reportedly sign television deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon totaling $7.4 billion a year, which would be a major blow to TNT.

According to Sports business magazinethe NBA is formalizing written contracts with all three companies this week as they enter the final stages of negotiations.

The development is likely to upset fans of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal, popular analysts on TNT’s hit show “Inside the NBA.”

ESPN will reportedly pay $2.8 billion a year for the league’s highest-rated games, including the NBA finals, a conference finals and weekly primetime clashes.

NBC, meanwhile, plans to shell out $2.6 billion annually for the “B” package, which would likely include a show called “Basketball Night in America” ​​that would air 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 — reportedly worth $1.8 billion — would include the In-Season Tournament, first-round playoff games and the WNBA.

Just last week, NBA legend O’Neal said he was “very confident” that “Inside the NBA” will remain with TNT next season.

The beloved studio show stars O’Neal, Barkley, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson.

“I don’t know (about the future of the show), but hopefully (Warner Bros. Discovery CEO) David Zaslav will take care of things, I’m sure he will,” he said.

“I think we’re in a great place right now.”

Barkley was a little less sure, adding, “It would be sad (if the show ended). We don’t know… I hope so (continued). Not just for me and Kenny and Ernie and Shaq, but for the real people who work there, it sucks to be stressed right now.