The future of Inside the NBA as we know it looks bleak.

On Wednesday afternoon, the Wall Street Journal reported that the NBA is closing in on a huge $76billion TV deal with ESPN, Amazon, and NBC that could spell the end for the beloved TNT show.

The show is a huge hit with NBA fansCredit: Getty
According to the report, the league is closing in on multi-billion-dollar decade-long packages that would leave TNT on the outside looking in.

NBC is set to pay $2.5billion per year to broadcast the league’s games, securing the rights that TNT’s parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, previously owned.

With no NBA package, Inside the NBA would therefore become a thing of the past, at least in its current iteration.

“Inside the NBA is officially gonna be gone,” one fan posted.

“Find a way to get the Inside The NBA guys here, or we’ll never forgive you, ⁦@NBA⁩ ⁦@nbc⁩ ⁦@NBCSports,” another added.

“If you grew up watching the NBA you know that inside the NBA is a spiritual experience that sometimes rivaled the game itself. Can’t believe it’s almost over,” a third posted to X.

“Long live inside the NBA,” wrote a fourth.

Inside the NBA has been on the air for over 30 years.

The Emmy Award-winning studio show, which airs following each NBA telecast on TNT, is hosted by Ernie Johnson, with analysis from Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and NBA champions Kenny Smith and Shaquille O’Neal.

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Barkley (right) has suggested bringing the show to his own production companyCredit: Getty

The show as fans know it could be overCredit: Getty
The show mixes in highlights, interviews and various light-hearted segments that often feature the pundits going at each another barb for barb.

The format has proven immensely popular and has inspired CBS Sports’ Champions League coverage with Jamie Carragher, Thierry Henry, Micah Richards and Kate Abdo.
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Inside the NBA’s future hangs in the balance but Phoenix Suns legend Barkley isn’t giving up on it yet.

He recently appeared on The Dan Patrick Show where he revealed that he had discussed reconstituting the popular show at his own production company, should TNT Sports indeed lose its NBA rights.

“I have my own production company, I would love to do that if if we lose it [NBA rights],” Barkley said. “But I have definitely had — actually somebody suggested that to me, to be honest with you, on the internet — ‘so why doesn’t Charles Barkley sign these three, guys four guys total to his production company and sell it?’ I’m like, ‘That’s a great idea.

Barkley reportedly has an out in his contract should TNT lose their right, but the Sports Business Journal reported that Ernie Johnson will stay with TNT, regardless of what happens.

Either way, Barkley said morale on the show has been low in recent weeks and ripped parent company Warner Bros. Discovery for the uncertainty around the situation.

“Morale sucks, plain and simple. You know, I just feel so bad for the people I work with Dan,” Barkley said.

“These people I work with, they’ve screwed this thing up clearly. And we don’t have zero idea what’s going to happen. I don’t feel good. I’m not gonna lie, especially when they came out yesterday and said we bought college football. I was like, well damn, they could have used that money to buy the NBA.”

Under the landmark TV deal, ESPN would keep the ‘A’ package of games – including the NBA Finals.

Amazon’s $1.8 billion-a-year package would be for the ‘C’ package and would include regular-season and playoff games, the new NBA in-season tournament, the ‘play-in’ games and a share of the conference finals.

That would leave NBC Sports with the ‘B’ package, currently held by Warner Bros. Discovery’s TNT Sports.

This package would reportedly show around 100 games per season, with about half airing exclusively on the Peacock streaming service.

Games would air on NBC on Tuesdays and Sundays when there isn’t a conflict with NBC’s ‘Sunday Night Football’.