Veteran NBA analyst Charles Barkley, who previously stated that he planned to retire after the 2024/25 season, has reversed course and will remain on with TNT Sports for “many years to come,” the cable network announced today in a statement (Twitter link via Brad Townsend of The Dallas Morning News).
TNT is expected to lose its NBA broadcast rights after the 2024/25 season, but Barkley remains under contract with Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT’s parent company) well beyond that, having signed a 10-year, $210MM contract in 2022. He has stated that he didn’t intend to accept a pay cut, so it sounds like TNT plans to honor that contract.
“I love my TNT Sports family,” Barkley said in a statement. “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future. This is the only place for me.
“I have to say … I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”
An NBA broadcast partner for several decades, TNT was unable to reach an agreement in the latest round of negotiations as the league struck deals with Disney (ABC/ESPN), NBC, and Amazon. TNT attempted to exercise its matching rights on Amazon’s offer, but was rejected by the NBA, which has led to a lawsuit from WBD.
Barring an unexpected development, the 2024/25 season will likely be TNT’s last as an NBA broadcaster. The popular Inside The NBA studio show, which stars Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson, may also be entering its final season. Barkley said last month that he was open to listening to pitches from Disney, NBC, and Amazon and was still leaning toward retirement, but has now reaffirmed his commitment to TNT for the next several years.
While TNT will likely no longer have NBA broadcasts beyond 2025, the network airs March Madness games and features Barkley on its studio show during the NCAA tournament. It also has the rights to several other sports and events, as TNT Sports Chairman & CEO Luis Silberwasser noted in a statement of his own.
“Charles is one of the best and most beloved sportscasters in the history of television,” Silberwasser said. “I know I speak for all members of the TNT Sports family when I say we are incredibly thrilled to share this mutual commitment to continue showcasing Charles’ one-of-a-kind talents and entertain fans well into the future.
“We continue to add to the breadth and depth of our sports portfolio — including new properties in the College Football Playoffs, Roland-Garros, NASCAR, BIG EAST college basketball, Mountain West football, among others — and it’s fantastic to have Charles for this journey as we develop new content ideas and shows for our fans.”
So much for any integrity. Why make such a definitive statement and then do a 180 a few weeks later. Ridiculous. He looks stupid. IMHO
How does that impune his integrity? His job of 20+ years was taken from him. He obviously enjoyed what he did at TNT. People don’t like change. He is staying with the network but will be involved in other roles.
He said he would only stay if the people who worked on the show were taken care of. Are they all receiving 10-year contracts or did I miss the announcement?
I have no issues with him going with the money. But claiming to take a moral stand and then having to walk back his definitive statement just makes him look silly. Although why everyone bought it in the first place is the bigger mystery.
When did take a “moral stand” and make a “definitive statement”? He’s 61. He has been on the show for 20+ years. I’m sure retirement has crossed his mind when it was announced the show would be ending. Since then, they have probably pitched other shows to him that can employ a lot of the same people.
IMHO, your comment is more stupid than his decision to change course.
He changed his mind. It’s as simple as that. There is nothing to do with integrity here. No one is damaged because Barkley changed his mind.
Charles is goated…he could talk about any sport and people will tune in. This is a business and he is a business man. Heck they could even do a weekly NBA recap show. Tnt playing chess…
Get him in there on the hockey and baseball studio shows; that could be gold.
Bring him into AEW….
He has a CNN show.
Maybe TNT could start showing Euroleague games?
Barkley is no longer an athlete, he’s a TV personality. For those, unless they’re in their 80’s, or have contracted a disease that makes it difficult for them to be in the public eye, there is no such thing as retirement. Plus, Barkley specifically has a long term contract, so there was no real possibility of him retiring (quitting) without some type of agreement. Anyone with an understanding of the circumstances would know this.
Of course he could retire. They can’t stop him from doing that. He has already worked for other networks. So, he is not chained to any network.
He “could” do a lot of dumb things, but it should be presumed that he wouldn’t, and nothing he said should be interpreted as him intending to do otherwise.
An employee with an employment contract can unilaterally leave the job, but that doesn’t address what happens to his contract. It doesn’t just disappear because he’s no longer working under it, and/or not being paid salary under it. It still governs their relationship, financial and otherwise, from beginning to end. He can’t be compelled to work, but with an outstanding contract he can certainly be prevented from working at another network. A thinking human being would negotiate an end to the agreement.
I guess you can end a marriage by just walking out too. But saying you’re divorced doesn’t make it so.
Umm…Media contracts are different. Barkley has done studio work for TNT, ABC, and CBS. All three are competing networks. He hosts a show on CNN with Gayle King, who hosts the morning on CBS, competing networks. Al Michaels announces NFL games for Amazon, but is still under contract to NBC. There are a lot more.
Only because his various contracts allow or provide for it. The TNT/TBS group works contractually with CBS and TRU on the NCAA tournament. That doesn’t even require a contract between him and the other network. Otherwise, you wouldn’t see a guy doing the same sport on two networks. Michaels doesn’t do NFL football on NBC any longer.
Barkley has done studio NBA studio work for both TNT and ESPN, both competing networks. Dave Fleming and Jon Miller, SF Giants announcers, whose games are on a NBC RSN, have also announced MLB games on ESPN. They are competitors.
Barkley doesn’t do NBA studio work on ESPN/ABC. For sportscasters, national contracts and team (local/regional) contracts are common, but they reference and permit each other. Mike Breen works for MSG doing the Knicks and ESPN/ABC on national broadcasts. In baseball, almost every major national broadcaster has a team contract as well.
Anway, if you want to believe there are no contractural obligations that matter, and guys just work where and when, and for whom, they want, I won’t stop you.
I never said there were no contractual obligations. But, to say he can’t retire, or do work for another network, is false. Barkley has definitely done studio work for ESPN while still working for TNT.
I never said he couldn’t retire; only that it would be foolish to retire without settling his contract situation, because, until then, it controls what he can and can’t do for any other network.
Adam Silver doesn’t like free speech. You talk dirty about Bron, L.A or ESPN…….you’re gone. People love Chuck because he speaks his mind and majority of time, the truth. Silver can’t be having that.
I’m sorry but why does this article insinuate that TNT is losing their broadcast rights? There is no way a judge looks at this contract and just removes TNTs matching rights, which they paid for in the last contract. If you have a contractual right to match, one party doesn’t get to rework the next deal to nullify those rights, that would be in violation of the original contract. It’s very straightforward.
This Twitter thread lays out why TNT’s odds likely aren’t great: link to x.com
Thankfully, love good ol’ Chuck