A close up shot of NBA TNT Analyst, Charles Barkley talking on set before the New York Knicks game against the Cleveland Cavaliers on October 25, 2016 at Quicken Loans Arena in Cleveland, Ohio. (Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
David Dow | National Basketball Association | Getty Images
Charles Barkley isn’t retiring and he’s not leaving TNT Sports.
The star broadcaster and National Basketball Association Hall of Famer said Tuesday that he plans to stay with Warner Bros. Discovery‘s TNT Sports even if the company doesn’t emerge with NBA media rights.
“I’m looking forward to continuing to work with [TNT Sports] both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future,” Barkley said in a statement. “This is the only place for me. I have to say … I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”
Barkley’s future has become hazy given the NBA’s potential move away from TNT after next season.
Warner Bros. Discovery sued the NBA last month to forcibly invoke the company’s matching rights on a package of games earmarked to go to Amazon Prime Video as part of the league’s new media rights deal. The NBA rejected Warner Bros.’s match as invalid because the league claimed Amazon‘s games are for a streaming-only service. While Warner Bros. would stream the games on Max, it would also air them on TNT.
TNT Sports owns the media rights to a number of different sports, including Major League Baseball, the NCAA Men’s Basketball Championship, the National Hockey League and the United States Soccer Federation. Beginning next year, the company will add NASCAR, The French Open, and more than 65 regular season Big East basketball games.
Warner Bros. Discovery will be the home of some college football playoff games beginning this year. Barkley will play a role in the coverage of some of the events.
“It’s fantastic to have Charles for this journey as we develop new content ideas and shows for our fans,” TNT Sports Chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser said in the statement.
Barkley is one of the stars of the popular NBA studio show “Inside the NBA,” which debuted after TNT acquired NBA rights during the 1989–90 season. He said in June he planned to retire after next season as a broadcaster.
“I ain’t going nowhere other than TNT,” Barkley said on June 14. “But I have made the decision myself that, no matter what happens, next year is going to be my last year on television.”
Barkley seemed to waver on his decision to retire during a recent appearance on The Dan Patrick Show in late July.
“Everything is on the table,” Barkley said of his future job opportunities.
Barkley signed a 10-year deal with TNT Sports in 2022 and is entering his 25th year with the company. In May, Barkley said he had an opt-out clause in the contract in case TNT lost NBA rights. That’s incorrect, according to a person with knowledge of the contractual language. Barkley said last month his deal is worth $210 million over 10 years.
Barkley’s commitment to TNT Sports likely closes the door on recreating “Inside the NBA” for another network if Warner Bros. Discovery doesn’t emerge with a package of games as an outcome of its NBA lawsuit.