Keeping the “Inside the NBA” crew in the fold “could be touted by TNT as a selling point to retain the loyalty of the league” when its TV rights pact runs out following the 2024-25 season, according to Des Bieler of the WASHINGTON POST. Once that “pact runs its course, there could be a furious bidding war among a number of prominent platforms to gain the rights to NBA games and content.” TNT analyst Charles Barkley called his new deal “a life-altering deal … and I’m blessed to be able to do live television for a living.” Bieler notes that “wasn’t quite the tone Barkley struck in a conference call with reporters” ahead of February’s NBA All-Star Game. At that time he noted the three years left on his TNT contract and said “that’s probably going to be it for me” (WASHINGTON POST, 10/18).
GOOD NEWS: YAHOO SPORTS’ Jason Owens writes for fans of the beloved studio show, the “announcement is welcome news after Barkley's dalliance with LIV Golf alongside his longtime refrain that he'd retire at 60 years old.” Barkley is 59. Barkley is not “the only reason for ‘Inside the NBA's’ success.” But he is “the only member of the studio show who's regularly teased his exit.” If it was all a “long negotiating ploy, it appears to have paid off” (YAHOO SPORTS, 10/17). In N.Y., Andrew Marchand wrote Barkley is “arguably the greatest sports studio analyst of all time and the landscape for what sportscasters are paid has changed dramatically in recent years.” According to sources, Barkley will "add to his portfolio by producing documentaries and other projects with his production company," Round Mound Media (N.Y. POST, 10/17).
DUAL ROLES: VARIETY's Brian Steinberg reports WNBA L.A. Sparks F and ESPN analyst Chiney Ogwumike has signed a "new deal with ESPN that extends her stay there and is certain to expand her presence." Ogwumike is "gearing up to start calling NBA games for ESPN, adding to her regular presence on 'NBA Today' and 'NBA Countdown.'” She is also "eager to find ways to produce her own programming and tell stories of athletes who might not have gotten as much attention in the past" (VARIETY, 10/18).
