ESPN President: No Plans To Change Anything About ‘Inside The NBA’

December 9, 2024

ESPN recently pulled off a major win for fans of “Inside the NBA,” the iconic post-game show that nearly saw its final season this year.

Thanks to a new deal with Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD), ESPN will now be licensing the show starting with the 2025–26 season, ensuring the TNT-produced favorite stays on air. The only difference? The show will air on ESPN/ABC.

ESPN President Burke Magnus gave a behind-the-scenes look at the deal on the SI Media With Jimmy Traina podcast. And as a fan of the show, Magnus wasn’t about to let this piece of NBA history slip through the cracks.

“They’re going to produce it, and that’s exactly what we want,” he said, making it clear that TNT will maintain creative control.

Magnus was firm on one thing: “Of course we’re not going to change the show,” he said. “Why would we take something so successful and so iconic, bring it over and then be like, ‘We know better, we’re gonna change it?’”

That’s the kind of reassurance fans needed to hear — no changes, no new faces, just the same beloved crew.

So what’s next for Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal? They’ll still do their thing during the NBA Finals, plus conference finals, and a good chunk of the regular season, including Saturday night and Sunday afternoon windows on ABC.

Magnus also teased the possibility of select games on ESPN, like Christmas Day and big matchups during the season.

As for ESPN’s own studio show, NBA Countdown isn’t going anywhere. Magnus confirmed it will remain part of the network’s NBA coverage.

So, was this deal purely business, or was there some fan sentiment involved? According to Magnus, it was a little of both.

“We’re fans, too,” he said. “At the end of the day, I’m a big fan of that show. We didn’t want to see it end either, as fans.”