Shaquille O’Neal is “very confident” that “Inside the NBA” will remain on TNT next season, despite rumors that NBC is about to take away TNT’s television rights to the league.
He Wall Street Journal reported last month that Comcast Universal (NBC’s parent company) was willing to offer $2.5 billion a year for the rights, more than double what Warner Bros. Discovery (TNT’s parent company) is currently shelling out on average. , 1.2 billion dollars.
NBC obtaining the rights would likely mean the end of ‘Inside the NBA,’ the beloved studio show featuring O’Neal, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson, but O’Neal doesn’t appear to be sweating
“I don’t know (about the future of the show), but I hope (Warner Bros. Discovery CEO) David Zaslav takes care of the business, I’m sure he will,” he told journalist Adam Glyn.
“I think we’re in a great situation right now.”
Shaquille O’Neal said he was ‘very confident’ about the future of the beloved ‘Inside the NBA’
His colleague Charles Barkley, however, seemed less certain that the show would go on.
Barkley, O’Neal’s friend and colleague, was a little less sure.
‘We do not know. I mean, it would be sad (if the show ended). We don’t know,’ she said.
‘I hope so (continues). Not just for me and Kenny, Ernie and Shaq, but for the actual people who work there, it sucks to be stressed right now.
The pair’s comments come after veteran sportswriter and Ringer founder Bill Simmons said the deal was “done” on his eponymous podcast.
“One of the funniest things is we all pretend the TV deal didn’t just close a week and a half ago,” Simmons said earlier this week.
‘I think it’s done. I think Warner (Bros. Discovery) already lost it,’ he continued.
TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros., has been paying less than half of the $2.5 billion a year fee that Comcast Universal (NBC’s parent company) is supposedly offering.
“And I don’t know why we’re waiting until after the playoffs, maybe that’s how they have to do it.” But it is a summary. NBC is getting it. I’m just telling you.
Warner, which began broadcasting games in 1984, has paid an average fee of $1.2 billion per year to the league, according to the Wall Street Journal.
The network was unable to reach a new pact with the NBA before an exclusive negotiating window expired last week.
