ESPN announces major broadcasting change for Inside the NBA after TV rights deal – but fans warn over Stephen A. Smith
ESPN has revealed a new addition to its broadcast schedule, and fans want Stephen A. Smith not to be part of it.
Inside the NBAwill remain on the air past this season and beginning in 2025-26, the hitNBAprogram will move to ESPN and ABC as part of a settlement between ESPN and TNT.
The 2024-25 season will be the last in which TNT airsInside the NBAand holds the rights to the NBA.
The show, which has won 21Emmy Awards,featuresthe panel of Ernie Johnson,CharlesBarkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, andShaquille O’Neal.
In apress release, ESPN announced that Inside the NBA will be the pregame, halftime, and postgame show for the NBA Finals,NBA Playoffs,ChristmasDay games, NBA on ABC, and other programming.
TNT will continue to independently produce Inside the NBA from its Atlanta-based studios during the agreement.
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That means other ESPN talent, includingStephen A. Smith, likely won’t be added to the Inside the NBA lineup.
However, fans still shared their worries that the 57-year-old Smith can join the program from time to time as a remote guest.
“Keep Wilbon and Stephen A. off the show. Don t tweak it, don t try to re-imagine it . Don t touch it. Just hook up the signal and put it on the air as is,” one commented.
“Don t change it by forcing Skip, Stephen A., or any other personalities on it. Let it like it is,” another wrote.
“We don’t want @stephenasmith anywhere near it,” a third said.
Stephen A. is based inNew Yorkso it still looks like he will not be able to join the regular Inside the NBA crew.
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Still, Inside the NBA will replace NBACountdown, the pregame and halftime show in which Smith stars.
Stephen A. could be a guest on the show as he appeared on Inside the NBA in a crossover event at the NBA Cup Final last December.
However, Smith is in the middle of contract negotiations with ESPN.
In a recent episode of The Stephen A. Show podcast, Stephen A. shared that he is “happy” for the cast of the show, but the move “doesn’t affect” hisfuture.
“A lot of people have been asking me about this, wondering how I feel about it, wondering what it means for my future it doesn t affect me at all,” he said.
“They re friends, and not just to me but anybody in the NBA community.
Inside the NBA’s four-man crew has been together since 2011.
TNT has shown live NBA games ever since it launched in 1988.
Inside the NBA started the year after.
The 2025-26 season will be the first of ESPN’s 11-year rights extension with the NBA.
The agreement will allowTNT Sportsto display 13 Big 12footballand 15 men’sbasketballgamesnextseason as part of a sublicense with ESPN.
TNT will broadcast twoCollege FootballPlayoff games beginning this season, also under a sublicense with ESPN.
And TNT Sports will also have a global content license with the NBA for the next 11 years as part of the agreement.
The agreement comes after a legal battle between the NBA and Warner Bros. Discovery – the owners of TNT Sports.
The battle was over a matching rights agreement in their contract to broadcast the league.
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The NBA signed 11-year deals with ESPN, NBA, and Amazon Prime.
Warner Bros. Discover will continue its existing digital operations for five seasons.
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