The NBA announced Wednesday that it would be proceeding with Amazon Prime Video's media rights offer, indicating that Warner Bros. Discovery's attempt to match their bid fell short.
As such, the beloved program Inside the NBA will be no longer at the conclusion of the 2024-25 season, a true travesty for the league.
The cast of Shaquille O'Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Ernie Johnson has been a favorite among NBA fans since its inception during the late 1980s, though the current ensemble is what truly drove the show to reach new heights.
As it stands, the NBA is in agreement with Amazon, NBC and ESPN/ABC in its new media rights deal, leaving Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT) out in the cold.
Of course, it remains possible Amazon attempts to sign the Inside the NBA crew and bring the esteemed studio show to its network. Still, with so much uncertainty surrounding the program's future, and TNT no longer in the mix for the NBA's media rights, basketball fans were crestfallen over the announcement, and they took to social media to share their thoughts.
2024-2025 will be the last season of Inside The NBA
— Ahmed/The Ears/IG: BigBizTheGod 🇸🇴 (@big_business_) July 24, 2024
end of an era
NBA officially announced the new TV deal pic.twitter.com/vydF9rmJbl
“Dad, how was Inside the NBA on TNT?”
— LakeShowYo (@LakeShowYo) July 24, 2024
pic.twitter.com/g7b0GzoEhI
And just like that Inside The NBA on TNT is gone after next season. Gonna miss Shaq, Chuck, Kenny and Ernie together on TNT. The NBA wins with this deal but the fans lose. https://t.co/X6PRTCqs2X
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) July 24, 2024
Losing the Inside the NBA crew is a brutal, brutal blow. And to make things worse, watching games on Amazon isn’t practical.
— Steve Helwick (@s_helwick) July 24, 2024
It’s not a TV channel. Can’t watch on bar or hotel TVs like you could with TNT. Sports and streaming don’t mix. Everything about this stinks. https://t.co/G9a6Td3IFZ
Business is business, but man, it’s gonna hurt like hell to see Inside The NBA go. Not because of what we saw on camera, but that entire family was good people. I say family because in my experience, that’s how they moved.
— Justin Tinsley (@JustinTinsley) July 24, 2024
Inside the NBA has nothing to lose now. They going to empty the clip these final episodes. https://t.co/nLCN0J8H9c
— Rob Perez (@WorldWideWob) July 24, 2024
This article was originally published on www.si.com as NBA Fans Mourn the End of 'Inside the NBA' After League Rejects TNT Bid.
