**"Inside the NBA" Moves to ESPN and ABC in Major Media Rights Shift**

In a significant transition set for the 2025-26 season, "Inside the NBA" will be broadcast on ESPN and ABC. This shift follows a settlement between Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) and the NBA after WBD filed a lawsuit in New York state court. The litigation arose because the NBA did not accept WBD's matching offer for one of its new 11-year media rights packages.

Despite the move to ESPN and ABC, TNT Sports, under WBD, will continue producing the popular studio show from Atlanta, barring any episodes produced on the road. The show's beloved lineup—Ernie Johnson Jr., Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O'Neal—will remain intact. Barkley, in fact, extended his contract with WBD in August, even though the company will no longer have rights to air NBA games in the U.S. from next season.

Even without U.S. broadcasting rights, TNT Sports will air NBA games in select countries, including several in Latin America and Poland. From the 2025-26 season through to 2035-36, NBA's nationally televised games will be shown on ABC/ESPN, Comcast's NBC/Peacock, and Amazon under an 11-year agreement valued at roughly $76 billion.

During this period, "Inside the NBA" will cover key moments like opening night, Christmas Day, the playoffs, and the NBA Finals. It is also expected to air on Saturday nights in the second half of the season when ABC has prime-time games.

The settlement grants TNT Sports, Bleacher Report, and House of Highlights a global content license for NBA content without a rights fee for the next 11 years. Additionally, WBD will maintain its relationship with the NBA's digital operations, including NBA.com, for five more seasons.

The end of this season marks a conclusion to Turner Sports' long history with the NBA, a partnership that began in 1984 and saw games aired on TNT since 1988. Despite declining to comment, it's clear that ESPN, TNT Sports, and the NBA are navigating a new era in sports broadcasting.