TNT
Charles Barkley, one of the mainstays of the long-respected studio show Inside the NBAsays the current media rights situation is “abysmal” for Warner Bros. Discovery staff.
Barclay said in an interview on SiriusXM on Wednesday that about 200 jobs could be lost if WBD loses to NBCUniversal. (Listen to the clip below)
sports business journal Earlier on Wednesday, it was reported the deal could close as soon as next week. Turner Sports, which has aired NBA games for nearly 40 years, could lose out to NBCUniversal. Disney/ESPN and Amazon have reportedly reached an agreement with the NBA that is structured similarly to the recent split of NFL rights into streaming and linear broadcasts. Disney and NBCU have proposed paying, on average, between $2.5 billion and $2.8 billion per year, with Amazon slightly lower at just under $2 billion. These fees are more than double the current contract, which expires in June 2025.
“It's really bad right now for the people that I work with,” Barclay said. “I worry about all the people that I work with. I just turned 61, and I have plenty of money.”
If WBD is sent off for an ace, Barkley said, “I don't think it would be a dismissal.'' I looked at it and was like, “Damn, I have to play.” more Golf?’ People ask me what I’m thinking about right now, and I say, ‘Finish the Western Conference Finals,’ so he can play some more golf or go fishing.”
The former player looked more thoughtful when asked about it. internal on-air team including lead anchor/ringmaster Ernie Johnson; Burkey, Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith were all re-promoted after the WarnerMedia-Discovery merger was completed in 2022. Even if a rival were to try to scoop up that talent, it could be difficult to recreate the anything-goes environment of linear TNT broadcasting. Broadcasts sometimes go on until late at night, giving talent ample opportunity to show off their riffs.
“I know Arnie's not going anywhere else,” Barkley said. “Arnie's almost 70 years old. He's going to retire sooner or later. I don't think he's going to another network. And I don't know what's going to happen with Amazon or ESPN or if they're going to lose it to NBC. … I just don't know.”
As for whether he would consider another venue to continue his NBA commentary work, Barkley said:
The companies and the league remain tight-lipped about the status of rights negotiations. Due to the interest in this issue, WBD decided to highlight it in an upfront presentation to advertisers in New York last week. Louis Silberwasser, WBD's head of sports, said the company looks forward to the return of NBA play in the 2024-25 season and hopes to “reach an agreement that is satisfactory to all parties.” He said he was looking forward to it.
Listen to part of Berkeley's interview here.
