Charles Barkley could be 'a free agent' if TNT loses NBA rights / News - Basketnews.com

If TNT fails to keep the NBA broadcasting rights, fans could see Charles Barkley on a different network.

Credit: Scott Halleran/Getty Images/AFP - Scanpix Credit Scott Halleran/Getty Images/AFP - Scanpix

TNT's partnership with the NBA is uncertain with the ongoing negotiations for the league's next media rights deal after the 2024-25 season.

Charles Barkley

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That means the future of Inside the NBA, one of the most popular sports shows covering the league, is also in doubt.

Former player and basketball analyst Charles Barkley said on ESPN Cleveland’s The Really Big Show that he could move to a different network if TNT does lose the NBA broadcasting rights.

“I covered my ass, to be honest with you. I just signed a 10-year deal two years ago, but one of the things I did was I put an opt-out in a couple [of] years because I wanted to cover my ass when it comes to this situation," Barkley said.

Inside the NBACredit AFP-Scanpix

“I said, ‘If you guys lose the NBA, I want to make sure I can get out of here.’ So I am actually in a really great position. We knew it was going to be Amazon and Apple, but we didn’t know NBC was going to come out of the woodwork. But the one thing I particularly did in my contract [was] I put an opt-out clause in there. Listen, I love TNT, they’ve been great to me… I wanted to make sure that if we lost the NBA in two years, I could be a free agent.”

TNT currently remains in contention to be part of the next rights deal, but NBC could outbid them with its own package, which is expected to be an average of $2.5 billion a year.

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