Charles Barkley Is '100 Percent' Concerned About TNT's Future With NBA Rights

Karl Rasmussen | May 14, 2024

Phoenix Suns legend Charles Barkley / Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

As the current NBA media rights deal approaches its expiration, there have been reports that TNT could be out of the running for the league's broadcasting rights, with NBC in line to potentially take over.

Amid a recent report from The Athletic which states that David Zaslav, the CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery, TNT's parent company, has said that the network does not "have to have the NBA."

With much uncertainty surrounding TNT's future with the NBA, one of the network's biggest stars, Charles Barkley, was asked about the situation during a radio appearance with ESPN Chicago's Tom Waddle and Marc Silverman.

"Am I concerned? 100%," said Barkley. "We have zero idea what's going to happen. We might lose [the media rights deal]. I feel so bad for the people I work with. It is brutal. It is flat out brutal. Everyone is scared to death."

Charles Barkley on TNT's future with the @NBA

"I am concerned...100%"

Full interview: https://t.co/MqIrVh1020@waddleandsilvy @twaddle87 @tyleraki_ @Jeff_Meller pic.twitter.com/yx3zDJ6P0q

— ESPN 1000 (@ESPN1000) May 14, 2024

"This is the first time during the exclusive window that we did not re-sign in advance," added Barkley. "I will tell you this. It's very stressful for the people I work with. ... We might lose it. It's 50-50 if we lose our part to NBC."

Barkley added that he believes that if it came down to a bidding war, TNT should be given the "benefit of the doubt" but noted that doesn't seem to be the case during the negotiations.

The league's current media rights deal expires after the 2024-25 NBA season.

Barkley isn't the only one with concerns about TNT's grasp on the broadcasting rights. The Ringer's Bill Simmons claimed on the latest episode of his podcast that NBC had already outbid TNT, even going as far as to say a deal with the NBA was effectively "a wrap."