Charles Barkley was not happy with the latest about the NBA’s broadcasting rights, issuing a statement about the decision on Friday morning.
The NBA recently announced that the media rights will belong to Disney, NBCUniversal, and Amazon Prime Video beginning in 2025. Warner Bros. Discovery (the parent company of Turner Sports) made an effort to match the offer, but it was denied.
That is especially bad news for fans of TNT’s Inside the NBA, which will likely come to an end after prolonged negotiations at the conclusion of next season. Barkley, one of the analysts on the beloved program,
Charles Barkley, legendary TNT Inside the NBA Analyst, releases statement pic.twitter.com/oP3depz9xd
— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) July 26, 2024
This is a massive statement from Barkley, who pointed the blame toward the league instead of his employer.
He previously said the following, blaming his bosses for botching these conversations as recently as just a couple of months ago:
“I think the first thing is, they came out and said we didn’t need the NBA,” said Barkley. “So I think that probably pissed [commissioner] Adam [Silver] off. I don’t know that, but when we merged, that’s the first thing our boss said. ‘We don’t need the NBA.’ Well, he don’t need it, but the rest of the people, me, Kenny, Ernie, Shaq and the rest of the people who work there, we need it.”
Now, it sure sounds like Barkley is arguing that the NBA and Adam Silver were not bargaining in good faith and never had any intentions of retaining rights with Turner Sports. The company said that it has taken legal action in response and a lawsuit was filed against the league.
Barkley, meanwhile, previously announced plans to retire from broadcasting at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season.
If he changes his mind due to his uncertain future, he would have plenty of suitors in the media market likely including Amazon. He told The Athletic he is listening to other offers while considering his retirement options.
But based on his latest comments that featured some hostility toward tech companies, a match with Amazon seems increasingly unlikely.
