Like so many basketball fans, I was downright delighted in 2024 when ESPN saved Inside the NBA from cancellation by forging a historic licensing agreement with TNT. It’s because of that deal that Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and co. remain on the air this fall amid the 2025 TV schedule. There have been pain points, though, particularly when it comes to the beloved show’s new schedule, which sees episodes air less frequently. I haven’t been too pleased with this, but the network’s head honcho just shared an excellent update.
At this point, Inside the NBA’s schedule for the 2025-2026 season is locked up and, as of this writing, the show’s last episode aired on November 12. Unfortunately, it won’t return until Christmas Day, at which point Ernie Johnson and co. will help cover the swath of holiday games. That’s still about a month away, though, which is disappointing, considering Inside used to air on a weekly basis. ESPN president Burke Magnus recently addressed the reason for the longer gaps between episodes:
