It was announced back in November that TNT's Inside the NBA will be licensed to ESPN and ABC for the 2025-26 season and beyond. Since then, though, ESPN hasn't confirmed whether or not the Inside the NBA crew would reunite on the new network, specifically in regards to Charles Barkley making the move from TNT to ESPN.
Barkley has been outspoken about his frustration with how the media deal was handled. He claims he learned about the show's move to ESPN from the media, not even from TNT directly. Back in December, Barkley even admitted he was keeping his options open and wasn't tied to ESPN yet.
But, it sounds like the crew consisting of Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith will be sticking together. ESPN president Jimmy Pitaro spoke to Front Office Sports recently and shared that he's heard the crew is staying together, as far as he knows.
“I have not heard any false notes. My understanding is we’re keeping the band together,” Pitaro said.
That's definitely exciting news for fans of the popular NBA show. Now we'll just have to wait and hear from the crew directly about their intentions to join ESPN in the fall.
NBA coverage for the 2025-26 season is going to look different in general as the league signed a new media deal for the NBA to be hosted across ESPN/ABC, Amazon Prime Video and NBC/Peacock.
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This article was originally published on www.si.com as ESPN President Confirms Plans for Charles Barkley, 'Inside the NBA' Next Season.