NBA News: Inside the NBA fans have had to endure a rollercoaster of emotions over the past couple of days. After being destined to supposedly enter their final year this coming NBA season, the highly popular show suddenly got jolted back to life after TNT announced on Tuesday that they were matching Amazon’s $1.8 billion bid for the rights to cover the NBA beyond the 2024-25 season.
On Wednesday, however, the NBA revealed that they have decided to push through with their partnership with Amazon, thereby ending any hope of TNT being able to renew Inside the NBA beyond this coming season.
Well, Amazon might just have something to say about that.
NBA News: Amazon Interested in Acquiring Inside the NBA
Apparently, Amazon is now considering bringing the well-loved program to their network. This is according to Prime Video global head of sports Jay Marine.
“I would say, first and foremost, ‘Inside the NBA,’ we view it as the gold standard studio program,” Marine told om Friend of the Sports Business Journal. “We’re big fans. I’m a big fan. They are absolutely fantastic, incredibly entertaining. And collectively, that chemistry is really awesome and, to be honest, it was an inspiration for us that we pointed to when we designed our TNF pregame team….That’s what we wanted to aspire to.”
Additionally, Marine also hinted at the possibility of employing the hosts of the show, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson, and Kenny Smith, should they become available.
“Obviously, there’ll be a lot of interest, and we’ll just have to see how that plays out,’’ Marine said.
26 Charles Barkley At Event
Not So Fast
As it turns out, however, Amazon does not have a clear path toward potentially pirating this show from TNT. Apparently, the hosts of the program won’t be available for the taking.
“Sources familiar with Warner Bros. Discovery, which owns ‘Inside the NBA,’ said today that there is ‘essentially zero chance of the show going anywhere intact’ — because, Johnson is reportedly not interested in exiting Turner and, because Barkley, O’Neal and Smith are under long-term contracts,” Friend wrote.
Depending on which side of the fence you’re sitting at, the silver lining here could be that Inside the NBA might still have a lifeline coming its way.
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