Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
Oh...I'm lost in space :P
Oh...I'm lost in space :P
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OSHA Inspector for the NBA. -
Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
NBC could get rights over TNT.
I hope that doesn't happen. NBA losing Inside the NBA would suck. Of all the sports leagues, this is THE show in terms of pregame/halftime/post game studio shows, nobody has ever come close.
Are the Inside guys able to go to another network if TNT loses the rights?Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
If TNT loses the NBA rights another network with the rights will pick up Inside the NBA.OSHA Inspector for the NBA.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
Aside from Twitter, do ya’ll still go to actual websites for your Basketball News or have you replaced them with Podcast shows?#RespectTheCultureComment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
The Inside guys are in long term deals with WBD. They aren't swapping networks.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
WBD should have never sold off the CW. Yes it was a teeny drama network but If the NBA wanted to go away from cable and to the broadcast networks moving Inside the NBA to the CW could have worked. But unfortunately they sold it.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
This is my line of thinking as well:
In Belloni’s thinking, the new bidders at Prime Video and NBC need studio programming around the games. And we already know that when WBD re-signed Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith recently, the company is believed to have given the hosts the ability to opt out should it lose NBA rights (TNT has matching rights in these NBA broadcast talks).
OSHA Inspector for the NBA.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
That would make sense.
What purpose does it serve to keep them on the payroll with no NBA?
Reminds me of when WCW went out of business. Due to the way the talents deals were structured, they were signed to (at the time) AOL Time Warner, and the talent had an opt out clause, but who would turn down free money (some guys in the millions) for sitting at home?
Just don't know if it would even be the same show on a diff network. Obviously those 4 guys are the big part of it, but it's also the crew behind the scenes that helps make the show.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
Chuck would take the money and sit at home lol.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
So apparently I was wrong. Barkley said he would leave TNT if they lost the NBA rights. Not sure about the other guys, particularly Ernie. I feel like Charles might just sign with a network to be an occasional analyst, as opposed to doing these long shows on Inside.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
More on that:
While Charles Barkley is a certain broadcast free agent if Warner Bros. Discovery loses its NBA package following the 2024-25 season, industry sources said Thursday that co-host Ernie Johnson would remain at Turner either way -- meaning next season could be the last for TNT’s award-winning studio show "Inside the NBA."
Barkley told ESPN Cleveland on Tuesday that he has an opt-out in his contract, in case the NBA chooses ESPN, Amazon and NBCUniversal ahead of WBD. But the sources said Johnson -- who has been the lead studio host for "Inside the NBA" for 35 years -- "would stay with Turner" and likely continue his role as lead studio host for the NCAA men’s basketball tournament, as well as do MLB play-by-play. Johnson did not respond to an interview request Thursday but sources said the reason he is staying at WBD is mostly loyalty. "He is Turner Sports. Period," a source said.
Recent speculation had the entire "Inside the NBA" team -- Barkley, Johnson, Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith -- leaving en masse and reprising the show on either ESPN, NBC or Amazon. But the same sources also said they suspected "Shaq probably wouldn’t do TV." O’Neal, for instance, is the president of Reebok Basketball and has a production studio, Jersey Legends, that is now part of Authentic Studios. He also has ties to franchises such as Five Guys, Papa John’s, 24 Hour Fitness and Krispy Kreme.
ESPN has long been intrigued by Barkley, and its Chair Jimmy Pitaro has been open about trying to replicate "Inside the NBA." "Pitaro used to say, 'How the f*** do they have the greatest show on television?'" a source said. NBC could also pursue Barkley, considering the chair of NBCUniversal’s media group, Mark Lazarus, used to work alongside Barkley at Turner.
All of it is moot if David Zaslav, the WBD CEO, matches or exceeds NBC’s reported $2.5B annual bid for an NBA package. ESPN reportedly has a handshake deal to retain its current package for $2.6B, and Amazon is said to have the framework in place for a package worth another $2B-plus. That leaves WBD competing with NBC for a significant third package or taking a reduced fourth package of only Thursday night games, which would keep Barkley and O’Neal in studio.
"My bet is that Zaslav will overpay to keep it, goes ballistic to keep it," an industry source said. "But I think NBC is the front-runner right now or just got in the front. I don't know if [NBA Commissioner] Adam Silver’s doing that to make Zaslav come in with a big number. It's got to be big. Like, it's got to blow NBC's number away.
"But at the same time, it’ll be less [of a package] than [Zaslav] has now. He's going to have less playoff games, less regular season games ... I'm sure Amazon got playoff games in their package. In order to develop a third package [for Amazon], you’ve got to take assets away [from Turner]. Zaslav could take just Thursdays; that may be the way there's four. But not if it weakens the package too much. Then NBC is not going to pay. So I would say if David Zaslav doesn’t go ballistic, meaning pay out through his nose, NBC’s going to win."#RespectTheCultureComment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
I'm not following all that too closely, but why would Zaslav need to go "ballistic"? Doesn't TNT have matching rights? Whatever number NBC puts forward Zaslav gets to say "Yes/No" and that is that. Unless he needs to go "ballistic" to force a 4th package which allegedly is not the NBA's preference (but that also may be a negotiating tactic on their part).
Don't care about the Shaq part, as much as I like him I'm on the record that Inside the NBA was better when it was just Ernie, Kenny and Chuck. But don't know if the show works as well without Ernie.OSHA Inspector for the NBA.Comment
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Re: NBA Off Topic Thread
I apologize if this has been discussed here before; I admittedly don't follow the NBA forum as actively as I do the NFL/MLB forums. It seems like each year in the playoffs more and more big name players are injured; Giannis, Dame, Embiid, Leonard, just to name a few this year.
It may be my memory, but the NBA I watched growing up (80s/90s) I don't remember the injuries being a factor in the playoffs like they are now. Players today don't even play as many games in the regular season as they did 30 years ago with load management.
Would this indicate that the game is actually more physical? Are the athletes too muscle bound by comparison? One would think with advances in medicine, nutrition, and training we'd see fewer injuries, not more. Thoughts?"People ask me what I do in winter when there's no baseball. I'll tell you what I do. I stare out the window and wait for spring." - Rogers HornsbyComment
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