TNT
Earlier this week, Warner Bros. Discovery held an earning call that could most kindly be described as utterly disastrous.
Among many stunning financial revelations made on the call, Warner Bros Discovery — run by the categorically inept David Zaslav — Warner Bros. Discovery revealed that its TV networks are worth $9.1 billion less than they originally and that they had a net loss of $10 billion in Q2 of 2024 (April, May, June) alone.
To put into further context just how horrible a single-quarter loss of $10 billion is, the company has a market cap of $18 billion. Furthermore, when Zaslav began as the company’s CEO in 2022, Warner Bros. Discovery’s stock was trading at $24.78/share. Today, it’s currently trading at $6.98.
One aspect of Warner Bros. Discovery’s unraveling that was also discussed was the losing of its NBA broadcasting rights to the likes of ESPN, NBC, and Prime Video.
According to Front Office Sports, however, “TNT parent Warner Bros. Discovery remained positive it can retain its 40-year rights relationship with the NBA or even squeeze out a smaller, face-saving, fourth game package.”
Regardless of what happens with its NBA rights, though, TNT has big plans for its seminal pre-and-post-game show Inside the NBA, which they plan to “reimagine” around its core talents of Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson.
“TNT is looking to ‘reimagine the entire content experience’ of the award-winning show and has zero plans to sell Inside the NBA to incoming NBA rights partners like Amazon Prime Video or NBC Sports, said sources.”
“Instead, network executives are whiteboarding multiple ways they can leverage the talents of Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, Kenny Smith, and Ernie Johnson, while maintaining the show’s unique on-air chemistry and humor.”
If TNT does lose its NBA rights, which seems likely unless they win what’s considered to be a longshot lawsuit against The Association, then the upcoming 2024/25 season will be the last of Inside the NBA in its current iconic format.
One idea that’s been reportedly floated is turning Inside the NBA into a SportsCenter-like show called Inside Sports.