Charles Barkley claims to have left a considerable amount of money on the table to remain with TNT.
The former-basketball-player-turned-television-host joined the network back in 2000, and viewers have since watched his take on “Inside the NBA” alongside Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal.
In 2022, Barkley extended his commitment to TNT, signing a 10-year $210 million contract, according to Front Office Sports. His impact in the field has been valuable to the network and media landscape earning him four Sports Emmys and leading to his induction into the Sports Broadcasting Hall of Fame, CNN reports.
However, recently the future of “Inside the NBA” was brought into question when it was announced TNT may lose media rights to the NBA.
USA Today reports the NBA did, in fact, decide to move forward with “a long-term arrangement with Amazon” because TNT Sports’ parent company, Warner Bros. Discovery, did not match Amazon’s offer. The NBA said the move would go into effect after the 2024-25 season.
“We are grateful to Turner Sports for its award-winning coverage of the NBA,” the league said in a statement, according to USA Today. “(We) look forward to another season of the NBA on TNT.”
Barkley was not amused upon learning about the announcement and shared a statement via Instagram commenting, “Clearly, the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I’m not sure TNT ever had a chance. TNT matched the money. The league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future.”
Contractually, the agreement also meant Barkley had the option to exit his contract. However, Barkley will remain with TNT, and he mentions on “The Dan Le Batard Show” that as a free agent he left “a minimum of a $100 million” on the table.
“It was a great feeling and I want to thank all those networks for reaching out to me,” Barkley said on the show. “It was really humbling and cool. It was to be honest… but I wasn’t even thinking. Like I said, Dan, even though they were throwing crazy numbers, I was like d-mn, but long as I got my people safe at TNT, man I feel really good.”
