The TV panorama for NBA protection is present process a major shift, with TNT discovering itself on the surface wanting in after the league’s newest broadcast rights negotiations.
Whereas NBC and Amazon secured offers alongside ESPN, TNT’s exclusion raised questions on the way forward for its famend basketball programming.
But amid this uncertainty, a shiny spot has emerged for one among basketball’s most beloved exhibits.
Shaquille O’Neal has dedicated to staying with Contained in the NBA because it makes its transition to ESPN subsequent season, signing a profitable deal value $15 million yearly.
Although this determine falls in need of Charles Barkley’s $21 million wage, it displays O’Neal’s enduring worth to the present’s success since becoming a member of the printed workforce in 2011.
Yahoo Sports activities confirmed the information on X, stating,
“Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to a deal for a reported $15 million per 12 months to stay on Contained in the NBA, per @FOS. The present can be licensed to ESPN from TNT beginning subsequent season.”
Shaquille O’Neal has agreed to a deal for a reported $15 million per 12 months to stay on Contained in the NBA, per @FOS.
The present can be licensed to ESPN from TNT beginning subsequent season. pic.twitter.com/JXQtcRaW7l
— Yahoo Sports activities (@YahooSports) February 14, 2025
The event comes after Warner Bros., TNT and TBS’s mum or dad firm, did not retain its NBA broadcasting rights.
Nonetheless, the immense recognition of Contained in the NBA made it too priceless to vanish completely, prompting ESPN to include the Emmy-winning program into its protection.
The league’s new media panorama will see broadcasts distributed throughout ESPN/ABC (Disney), Amazon Prime, and NBC, reshaping how followers devour NBA content material.
O’Neal’s journey with Contained in the NBA is especially noteworthy. Regardless of preliminary rising pains alongside Charles Barkley, Kenny “The Jet” Smith, and Ernie Johnson, he has developed into an integral a part of the present’s chemistry.
This pure rapport between hosts has created a viewing expertise that ESPN’s personal programming has struggled to match, making the present’s preservation all of the extra important for NBA followers.
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