Charles Barkley is one of the most popular figures in sports media and arguably the most well-known Auburn University alumni in the country, but he may soon be adding to his long list of accolades as one of the most sought-after “free agents” in sports media.
Barkley, one of the faces of TNT's iconic pregame and postgame show “Inside the NBA,” may soon be looking for a new job as the network is expected to lose its NBA television rights.
NBA Commissioner Adam Silver said negotiations are ongoing and it remains unclear which network will acquire the rights, but expressed confidence that Barkley and his colleagues will continue in their current roles.
“We will never lose Charles and Kenny. [Smith]”They're always going to cover the NBA,” Silver said. [on ‘Inside the NBA’] Although they will no longer be performing or announcing together, we all love them.”
During the period exterior On The Dan Patrick Show, Barkley said he was more worried about TNT staff and those who would lose their jobs due to the mismanagement of contracts than he was about himself.
Charles Barkley says morale is low amid uncertainty about the future of “Inside the NBA” and talks about potentially hiring staff for his production company to continue and sell the show. pic.twitter.com/gLoiKm7SM3
— Dan Patrick Show (@dpshow) May 23, 2024
“It just gets worse…. Dan, I feel so bad for the people I work with. They have families. I feel so bad right now. The people I work with obviously screwed this up and I have no idea what's going to happen. I feel bad,” Barkley said.
There are rumors that Barkley could move to ESPN and become a regular on Stephen A. Smith's popular show “First Take.” A deal with ESPN would also see Barkley appear on the network's NBA broadcasts.
But Barkley has made it clear he's not interested in having the same level of involvement with ESPN's broader content.
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“They don't make me work like a dog,” Barkley said. “ESPN Radio, ESPN2, ESPN Deportes. No way! I love ESPN, but I just turned 61. There's no way I'm going to be working like a dog into my mid-60s.”
But Barkley will get paid wherever he goes.
His last contract with TNT was worth more than $100 million and could approach $200 million over a 10-year deal. Original Report.
Barkley will likely follow suit with TV rights options including Disney, Amazon and NBC as likely candidates. If he were to go to a major network, it would be expected to break the record for the richest contract in sports media history.
Michael Browner is a senior sports analyst and contributor to Yellow Hammer News. You can follow him on Twitter. translation: Listen to him weekdays from 6am to 9am. WNSP-FM 105.5's “Opening Kickoff” Available online for free.
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