Barkley Gets His Wish: More ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN This Season

ESPN is expanding the production of Inside the NBA episodes and introducing more of them to the early-season schedule, the network announced on Thursday. Last season, ESPN secured the rights to air the popular studio show, featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal, and Kenny Smith, from TNT Sports in exchange for a bundle of Big 12 football and basketball games.

Due to Warner Bros. Discovery losing its NBA package in the league's most recent media rights deal, the show had only 20 regular-season dates that season, with significant gaps in production. For instance, there was only one episode aired between Halloween and Christmas last year, and this year, viewers can anticipate four episodes within that time frame.

Collectively, there will be 25 Inside the NBA dates on ESPN or ABC throughout the current season. Charles Barkley, a key figure in the show, was one of the show's proponents for increased early-season appearances. During a January interview with Dan Le Batard, Barkley lamented, "We've complained, we've only been on ESPN four times in three months.

I don't like that at all." He reiterated his concerns on The Bill Simmons Podcast, where he expressed that they only worked one day in November and once in December, specifically on Christmas. Barkley lamented, "I didn't like that at all, 'cause the fans like, 'well, damn, when are they gonna be on again?' We're like, 'We're on once a month.'"

Furthermore, Barkley has also hinted that this will likely be his final year on the show. "I'm looking forward to this last year. TV has been great for me. I'm stepping back from public life," Barkley stated in an interview with WFSA in Alabama last month. Despite uncertainties about whether this season constitutes his last on Inside the NBA, basketball enthusiasts can anticipate more opportunities to enjoy the legendary broadcaster and studio show during the upcoming season.