Kristian Ferrell
For 35 seasons, TNT aired the beloved NBA studio show Inside the NBA, which featured the biggest superstars and hottest hoops matchups alongside top-notch basketball analysis. The show was hosted by Ernie Johnson and included analysts Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley. However, in 2025, Inside the NBA transitioned from TNT to ESPN, marking an end to an era. Despite the network change, the show's production crew and on-air talent are expected to remain the same, with the show continuing to be produced by Warner Bros. This transition is part of a larger media rights deal for the NBA, worth at least $76 billion, which will keep games on ABC and ESPN, bring the league back to NBC, and introduce a new partnership with Amazon Prime Video.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Show | Inside the NBA |
| Airing Time | 1989 to 2025 |
| Number of Seasons | 35 |
| Hosts | Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O'Neal |
| Former Analysts | Magic Johnson, Reggie Miller, Chris Webber |
| Awards | Inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame, Curt Gowdy Media Award, 19 Sports Emmy Awards |
| New Airing Channel | ESPN and ABC |
| TNT's Continued Involvement | Manage NBA Digital, Distribute NBA-related content via Bleacher Report and House of Highlights |
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What You'll Learn
TNT's 'Inside the NBA' moves to ESPN and ABC
After 35 seasons, TNT's "Inside the NBA" is moving from TNT to ESPN and ABC. The show will continue to be produced by TNT Sports and will be aired from its Atlanta-based studios, except when the show is on the road. The Emmy Award-winning show will feature the same cast, including Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal. The move is part of a settlement between Warner Bros. Discovery, the parent company of TNT Sports, and the NBA after a dispute over media rights.
The settlement grants TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights a global license to distribute NBA content for the next 11 years without any rights fees. Additionally, TNT Sports will continue its relationship with the league's digital operations, including NBA.com, for five seasons. While TNT Sports will no longer air NBA games in the United States, it retains the rights to broadcast games in select international markets, such as Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico), Poland, Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden.
ESPN chairman Jimmy Pitaro hailed the addition of "Inside the NBA" to their network, stating that the show is ""universally recognized as one of the best and most culturally impactful shows in sports." The show will be featured on ESPN and ABC surrounding high-profile live events, including pregame, halftime, and postgame coverage of the NBA Finals, conference finals, NBA playoffs, and other marquee events.
The transition from TNT to ESPN and ABC marks a significant change for the long-running show and its dedicated viewers. While there may be some concerns about potential changes to the show's format or style, media reporters, such as Andrew Marchand, believe that ESPN is likely to preserve the show's unique characteristics, given their history of acquiring high-profile content and allowing it to remain largely untouched.
Despite the move, the crew of "Inside the NBA" remains grateful for the opportunities and relationships fostered during their time with TNT. They are optimistic about continuing their journey on a new network, bringing the same energy, analysis, and entertainment to basketball fans worldwide.
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TNT aired The Inside Story, a four-part documentary miniseries
TNT has been airing NBA games since the 1989-90 season, along with its halftime and postgame studio show, "Inside the NBA". The show has consistently been rated as one of the best sports analysis shows on American television and has won nineteen Sports Emmy Awards. It has been hosted by Ernie Johnson since 1990, with Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, and Charles Barkley serving as analysts.
In June 2025, "Inside the NBA" concluded its 35-season run on TNT, transitioning to ESPN and ABC as part of a sub-licensing agreement. To commemorate the show's history, TNT aired "The Inside Story", a four-part documentary miniseries. The documentary pulls back the curtain on the show's evolution, featuring interviews with celebrities, crew members, sports reporters, and more.
TNT has also been home to other basketball-related content, such as Run It Back on Cartoon Network, which uses similar graphics to TNT's NBA coverage. Additionally, TNT Sports manages NBA Digital, which includes NBA.com and NBA TV, and has the right to distribute NBA-related content through properties like Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.
While "Inside the NBA" has moved to a new network, TNT continues to air NBA games and related programming, with a focus on providing top-notch basketball analysis and entertainment.
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TNT features the biggest NBA superstars
The NBA on TNT features some of the biggest NBA superstars, past and present, as part of its Emmy Award-winning studio show. The show, which has aired since 1989, has included appearances from the likes of Shaquille O'Neal, Kenny Smith, Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson, and Vince Carter.
TNT's coverage of the NBA includes the show Inside the NBA, which has been hosted by Ernie Johnson since 1990. Johnson is joined by three analysts: Kenny Smith, who joined in 1998, Charles Barkley, who joined in 2000, and Shaquille O'Neal, who joined in 2011. Over the years, the show has also featured other NBA stars as analysts, including Magic Johnson, Reggie Miller, and Chris Webber.
The show has gained a reputation for its bold and controversial discussions, with O'Neal and Smith dropping F-bombs during their final sign-off in 2025. The show has also included lighthearted segments such as "Shaqtin' a Fool", which features bloopers from around the league, and "Area 21", hosted by Kevin Garnett.
In addition to its studio show, TNT also broadcasts live NBA games, featuring the league's biggest stars in primetime matchups. TNT's coverage of the NBA has been so prominent that it has been said that having "NBA on TNT" on one's résumé is a significant boost to one's career.
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TNT's graphics are copied on Cartoon Network's 'Run It Back'
Turner Network Television (TNT) is a television channel that has been airing National Basketball Association (NBA)-related content for several seasons. TNT's basketball coverage includes the Emmy award-winning studio show and the iconic Inside the NBA, which bid farewell ahead of its transition to ESPN after 35 seasons. TNT also features the biggest superstars in the hottest hoops matchups.
Cartoon Network is a television channel that originally timeshared with TNT, broadcasting from 5:00 AM until 7:00 PM daily. In December 1996, Cartoon Network and TNT became 24-hour channels. Cartoon Network's weekly basketball program, Run It Back, uses a direct copy of TNT's graphics. Run It Back is a program similar to Inside Stuff, another basketball program.
TNT's Inside the NBA was a long-running show that concluded its final episode with a trademark "Gone Fishin'" segment. The show's longtime crew and producers, along with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal, cast themselves away to sea as a nod to the final episode. The show was known for its craziness, nonsense, and foolishness, and top-notch basketball analysis.
With the transition of Inside the NBA to ESPN, TNT continues to hold broadcast rights for WBD properties in Nordic Europe and Latin America (excluding Brazil and Mexico). TNT Sports also manages NBA Digital, which includes NBA.com and NBA TV, and has a long-term license to distribute NBA-related content through digital properties such as Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.
The use of TNT's graphics on Cartoon Network's Run It Back program may be attributed to the historical relationship between the two channels, with Cartoon Network previously timesharing with TNT and utilizing similar branding and graphics packages.
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TNT's NBA coverage is Emmy award-winning
Turner Sports has had an NBA package since 1984, and games have been aired on TNT since the network launched in 1988. TNT's coverage of the NBA includes the halftime and postgame studio show "Inside the NBA", which has aired from 1989 to 2025. The show has consistently been rated as among the best sports analysis shows on American television and has won multiple Emmy Awards.
"Inside the NBA" has been hosted by Ernie Johnson since 1990, with three analysts: Kenny Smith (since 1998), Charles Barkley (since 2000), and Shaquille O'Neal (since 2011). Notable former analysts include Magic Johnson (2003-2007), Reggie Miller (2008-2011), and Chris Webber (2008-2011).
Over its history, "Inside the NBA" has won nineteen Sports Emmy Awards, including six times for the best daily show, six times for the best weekly show, five times for the best weekly show – limited run: playoffs, and one for the best social TV experience. Johnson has also won eight awards as a studio host, and Barkley has won six as a studio analyst. The show was inducted into the Broadcasting & Cable Hall of Fame in October 2016 and was the first NBA telecast to win the Curt Gowdy Media Award from the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame in 2020.
In addition to "Inside the NBA", TNT also features a range of other NBA-related content, including game coverage and the pregame show. TNT has a contract with the NBA to manage NBA Digital, which includes NBA.com and NBA TV, and to distribute NBA-related content through digital properties such as Bleacher Report and House of Highlights.
After 35 seasons, "Inside the NBA" transitioned from TNT to ESPN and ABC as part of a sub-licensing agreement between Warner Bros. Discovery and the Walt Disney Company. Despite the change, the show's production and on-air talent will remain the same.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, TNT has shown NBA games since the 1989-90 season.
TNT has shown games featuring the Los Angeles Lakers, the Indiana Pacers, the New York Knicks, the Blazers, and the Suns.
Yes, TNT has produced the studio show 'Inside the NBA' since 1989. Other shows include 'NBA Tip-Off', 'The American Express Halftime Report', and 'Game Break'.
