“Inside the NBA” will air on ESPN and ABC starting next season as part of Warner Bros. Discovery’s settlement with the NBA.
Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, sued the NBA in New York state court after the NBA did not accept the company’s matching offer for one package in a new 11-year media rights deal. 2025-26 season.
A proposed settlement is expected to be announced on Monday, three people familiar with the agreement told The Associated Press on Saturday night.
The people spoke on condition of anonymity because the lawsuit is ongoing. The deadline to ask for the lawsuit to be dismissed is Tuesday.
The settlement was first reported by the Wall Street Journal.
“Inside the NBA” will air on ESPN and ABC starting in the 2025-26 season, but TNT Sports will continue to produce its popular studio programming, which will be broadcast from Atlanta except when the show is on the air.
The quartet of Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal will remain on the show. Despite his loss in the NBA, Barkley signed an extension with WBD in August.
“Inside the NBA” will be broadcast at key times in the league’s calendar, including Opening Day, Christmas Day, the playoffs and the NBA Finals. It’s also likely to air on Saturday nights later in the season, when ABC airs prime-time game packages.
The settlement gives TNT Sports, Bleacher Report and House of Highlights a global content license for NBA content free of rights fees for the next 11 years.
Warner Bros. Discovery will also continue its relationship with the league’s digital operations, including NBA.com, for a fifth season.
TNT Sports will not broadcast games in the United States starting next season, but it has the rights to broadcast the full package of games in some countries, including Latin America and Poland.
TNT Sports will also begin broadcasting Big 12 football and men’s basketball games next season as part of a sublicense with ESPN. TNT will broadcast two College Football Playoff games this season under a sublicense with ESPN.
Warner Bros. Discovery acquired the rights to the French Open tennis tournament and Big East basketball earlier this year.
Turner Sports has offered NBA packages since 1984, and games have been available on TNT since the network’s inception in 1988. It ends after this season.
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