After 35 seasons, “inside the NBA” as we know, it’s no longer.
The emblematic studio show signed for the last time on TNT at the end of match 6 of The finals of the Eastern Conference between the Indiana Pacers and New York Knicks.
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Kevin Harlan and Reggie Miller first made their farewell to the coverage of Turner de la NBA at the end of the presentation of the trophy with an emotional tribute to the numerous broadcasters who had worked for the network over the years.
In a nod to the latest episode of “Inside The NBA on TNT”, Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal have moved away from the sea, as well as the crew and long -standing producers of the series – and, yes, the New York Knicks – as part of their Gone ‘”move segment”.
“We arrived at the end of the road here with the NBA on TNT,” said Johnson.
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“Even if the name changes, the engine remains the same,” said O’Neal. “To this new network, we arrive (ESPN), we do not come to” F ‘. And as it is the last show, I will say it: we do not come to F ***. We kick, we take names, we take over. “”
Smith followed with his own F. Bomb F. With the fans of Pacers behind them while singing, “TNT! TNT,” Johnson stun as he was starting to disconnect.
“If I had written the script, the NBA and the TNT would have been together forever,” said Johnson. “It will not happen.”
O’Neal and Smith dropped their microphones while Johnson and Barkley put theirs on the desk, and the four hosts left the set TNT for the last time.
Although it is the end of an era which is important for fans of the NBA of all ages, “Inside The NBA” does not disappear. It is fair to move to a new location in ESPN.
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Espn has acquired the rights to “inside the NBA” In a November history, treat with Warner Bros. Discovery to broadcast the show on its networks. In return, TNT SPORTS will support exclusive rights on a list of Big 12 football basketball matches and ESPN male basketball, in addition to An agreement he had previously implemented with the network for the rights of the university football playoffs.
In short, “Inside the NBA” will continue Next season despite the end of the 35 -year -old TNT race covering the NBA.
Will ESPN be playing inside the NBA?
Probably / I hope not?
ESPN and President Jimmy Pitaro wanted “inside the NBA” for a reason. ESPN is not very good at producing NBA studio shows.
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For almost all its existence as a partner of the NBA, ESPN failed to produce a convincing spectacle, even less one that captures the zeitgeist as “inside the NBA”. Instead, the quality of the ESPN product has generally gone from functional to the essential.
“Inside The NBA” is so emblematic, it was parodied on “Saturday Night Live” in 2022.
(NBC via Getty Images)
The difficulties are not for lack of tests. ESPN has turned and released a cast of hosts, analysts and journalists while trying to find the right formula. None of the efforts have only produced a moderate success, despite significant high -level talents in rotation.
Pitaro therefore reached a reasonable conclusion. If you can’t beat them, buy them. Or exchange for them, at least. Once it has become clear that TNT had actually left the NBA company for the first time since 1989, Pitaro proposed one of the most brilliant but obvious ideas in the recent sports media: obtaining the rights of “inside the NBA” and put it in waves.
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It was an idea with two significant impacts: upgrading the product around ESPN NBA programs. And, more importantly in the large scheme, give a rescue buoy to “Inside The NBA”, which was previously on the right track to become a too intact victim of The last mixture of NBA media rights.
TNT ‘will continue to produce independently inside the NBA’
According to all accounts – including directly from ESPN – it looks like “inside the NBA” will continue to operate largely as is. In its announcement on the acquisition of the rights of the show, ESPN clearly indicated that “Inside The NBA” will continue to be produced by TNT Sports.
“TNT SPORTS will continue to produce independently inside the NBA from its studios based in Atlanta for the duration of the agreement,” said the November ESPN announcement.
He will present the same distribution and production team, and will continue to be produced in the studio of Turner J in Atlanta. ESPN and ABC will simply be dismissed the program to broadcast on its own networks.
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But ESPN will surely want to put your own fingerprints in the series, right? There is no way that the “world leader” does not want to tinker, at least a little.
The media journalist of athletics, Andrew Marchand, who covered the transition from the program From TNT to ESPN, don’t think so. What He said “The Dan Patrick Show” in November.
“I don’t think it will happen,” said Marchand about the ESPN that shone the show.
Marchand then quoted other large -scale acquisitions under Pitaro such as “The Pat McAfee Show” which is largely intact by the management of ESPN, and the network’s decision to allow Peyton Manning to broadcast his “Monday evening of football” “Manningcast” from his garage in Denver.
“I think it’s the Pitaro game book,” said Marchand. “If I am a producer there, I say in a way, if I am in Bristol,” what are we doing? We can’t do things well. The big boss continues to outsource our programming. This is not a good sign. “”
“But it’s not the same Bristol. … (Pitaro) comes out and gets what he wants, especially in terms of people on the air.”
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Barkley, Johnson, Smith, O’Neal would all have on board
The people that Pitaro wanted, in this case, were Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal. And he has them.
Johnson would have stayed in TNT Whether “inside the NBA” continues or not. Barkley was Signed to a long -term agreement with TNT before the acquisition of ESPN and has since reaffirmed its commitment to the network.
O’Neal has signed a new agreement Staying with the network since ESPN dismissed the show. And Smith should remain in the program on a multi -year agreement, According to CNBC.
So what will be different?
When exactly and for how long “inside the NBA”, will be, is not quite clear. But some important details are, including the “Inside The NBA” crew covering the NBA final for the first time.
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ESPN provided a framework for a calendar in its acquisition ad:
“The legendary” inside the NBA studio team will appear on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-level live events, including the ESPN coverage, the ESPN final, half-time and after-match of the NBA finals on ABC, the final of the conference, the NBA qualifiers, all ABC matches after January 1, Christmas day, the last week, The season and other live brand events. “”
ESPN has also announced that its internal studio shows, “NBA Countdown” and “NBA TODAY”, will continue to broadcast. Thus, “inside the NBA” does not completely replace the cover of the ESPN NBA studio.
So does that mean that “inside the NBA” will not be broadcast before Christmas outside the opening week? This would not make much sense given the start of October to the NBA regular season.
Some of these early season shows may fall under the umbrella of “other live marquee events” and potentially include the NBA cup which takes place from mid-November to mid-December. But none of this is yet confirmed.
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Smith recently raised concerns about abandoning calendar control in ESPN in An interview with the New Yorker.
“We have the same crew of people who make the show,” said Smith. “But the timing: are we half an hour now? Are we forty-five minutes? Fifteen minutes?
“These are the things you can control when you have your IP, but we don’t do it. It was the only part that made me uncomfortable and discouraged, because I felt that we would have all had to enter ABC to negotiate this agreement. I am not saying that our leaders do not know how to do this, but we are the intellectual property now.”
So everything will not remain the same. And there will inevitably be unexpected surprises given all the new mobile parts.
But the overview is clear. We will not cry the end of “Inside The NBA” this week with the conclusion of the finals of the Eastern Conference. We just welcome a new chapter. And this is excellent news for those of us who love the NBA.
“The madness you see, the nonsense and the madness and the analysis of first -rate basketball – all this will be on ESPN and ABC next year, not on TNT,” said Johnson in a last sign panel. “And for that, we are sad.
“I’m proud to say for the last time: thank you for looking at us. It’s the NBA on TNT.”