@@National Basketball Association

[Bleacher Report] Charles Barkley, legendary TNT Inside the NBA Analyst, releases statement

  • July 26, 2024


“Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance. TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn't want to piss them off.”

“It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks.”

”I just want to thank everyone who has been at Turner for the last 24 years. They are the best people and the most talented and they deserve better. I also want to thank the NBA and its fans — the best fans in sports. We're going to give you everything we have next season.”

— Charles Barkley, TNT Inside the NBA Analyst

https://x.com/bleacherreport/status/1816840576060522820?s=46&t=BPOCzlMnie9QX3i9mnMaQw

49 comments

  2. Well the CEO of the company started negotiations off by playing hardball and bragging about how Turner doesn’t need the NBA. FAFO

  3. Chuck is gonna be the most unfiltered we’ve ever seen him next season, I can’t wait

  4. It’s sad but the idea that they should choose “the fans over the money” is a little ridiculous. They’re a business, and one that shares profits with the players. It’d be irresponsible to take a worse deal (if they view it as such) because Barkley is fun to watch.

  6. Inside the NBA bout to pull some wilt numbers in terms of entertainment. They going out ten toes down for TNT

  7. Chuck is very pro tnt surprisingly, always thought it was just the money, critical acclaim and having fun on tv for him

  8. its gonna be insane how they’re gonna be off limits on what they will say on TV cause what are they gonna do, remove them from TV? its gonna happen anyways

    We’re gonna hear multiple controversial statements from chuck

  9. Final Season Chuck is gonna be racking up FCC fines like Ernie stacks paper, and I’m 100% here for it.

  13. Can we please get an epic Last Dance-esque documentary of this final season?

  14. Anyone celebrating this because you have Amazon Prime, you know there’s a 100% chance sports on Prime becomes a paid premium as they continue spending all this money right?

  17. Rather watch it end like this than watch them try and replace Barkley with Draymond in a few years.

  18. This anger should be directed at Zaslav. TNT had an exclusivity window in the spring to come to an agreement before NBC/Amazon even entered the picture. TNT could not reach an agreement with the NBA and it went to the open market. That’s a failure on TNT’s part. They must have known they couldn’t compete with Amazon in an open bid.

    Only counter would be if we’re saying the NBA had no intention of dealing with TNT in that window and preferred BOTH NBC and Amazon over TNT. Amazon I get ($$$$$) but why they would throw out TNT for NBC is beyond me.

  22. We definitely aren’t going to see Adam Silver give another interview on Inside The NBA. If he thinks Barkley asking about DV last year was rough, no telling what issues Barkley would bring up in another interview.

  23. >…owners and commissioners choose money over the fans.

    This always has been the case, everyone should keep this in mind.

  24. They deserve an actual farewell tour tbh

    And Kevin Harlan better be calling basketball games next year, idk how they can make it work but it needs to happen god dammit.

  25. This an asinine statement that makes zero sense and shifts this decision to (incorrectly) being anti fan. Cable is dying, the demographic of the nba is increasingly cutting cable / international so having more and more streaming options that don’t rely on restrictive cable policies is fan forward. Not to mention this gives the nba a way to leverage themselves to pushing a better product in terms of picture quality since they won’t be reliant on antiquated bandwidth limitations of cable/OTA and instead have the power of pre established CDN services.

    And beyond that clearly the NBA didn’t appreciate a show that openly mocks the idea of watching basketball games that’ seems incredibly obvious. I’m under no illusion that other “analysts “ watch the games but at least they keep up the facade of watching and enjoying the sport.

  29. It seems like everyone is ignoring that TNT had an exclusive negotiating period where they lowballed the NBA. Obviously the league is going to follow the money but Warner and Zazlav are more so to blame

  31. I’m all for no filter Chuck and Shaq this year. Call Adam Silver a fucking gremlin.

  32. I hope chuck gives it to everyone for the last season . Sad to see an end of era . There’ll never be a sports show like it again

  33. I can’t wait to see what Chuck’s idea of “everything he has”.

    Galveston and San Antonio Women was just the beginning.

  35. Nba fans are absolutely not the best fans in sports. Half don’t watch, 40% hate watch, and maybe 10% are actual fans

    Idk that there’s a sport with worse fans on average than nba basketball

    Love Chuck, they’ll be so missed

  38. Chuck: Can we say Fuck on TV because it’s our last show?

    Ernie: No you can’t, Charles.

    Chuck: Too late. Fuck.

  41. Barkley’s loyalty is definitely with the studio and crew, if they get a deal for everything I think he goes.

  43. this is a huge loss for fans! 😔 Barkley and the TNT crew have always been the heart of NBA coverage. Sad to see money trumping genuine passion and talent.

  46. I have more of a problem with Peacock having 50 games and NBC using the NBA to attempt to boost their fledgling Peacock service, than Amazon buying TNT out. That’s far greater reach for the NBA and national reach on a level TNT did not provide and will make the sport better off and taps the youth market more. Peacock is less.

    NBC saw the opportunity to farm NBA games off on their shitty service to make that service viable. NBA took the deal for money….that’s not broadening access to the sport. That’s what I don’t accept and I don’t think the Sunday/Thursday primetime games change that. It’s a nice thing for sure, it’s a big deal for the sport. Overall between NBC+ESPN+the increase in ABC games+Amazon, we will have more national non-cable/basic cable games. That is a major deal for the NBA. The increase in national games is exactly what the sport needed. But TNT > Peacock.

    Chuck isn’t totally wrong….NBA went for the dough….but I also think that’s kind of their job. Most circumstances, that of course is to be condemned. Less so here. That dough is huge for the sport and vital.

  47. Chuck V the tech overlords is reminiscent of Chuck V Jordan: It won’t be a battle he’ll win but he’ll go down like a man.

  48. > “It’s a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans.

    This is so out of touch lol. No one wants to pay for TNT separately. Access to the NBA will be much better through Amazon Prime than getting a cable subscription.

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