“They don’t give a s**t about fans” – Charles Barkley rips into NBA’s massive $2.5 billion a year media deal

Former basketball star Charles Barkley took a shot at the NBA on “The Bill Simmons Show.” According to one of the hosts of the hit show “Inside the NBA,” the league doesn’t care about its fans. He spoke about the 11-year TV $75 billion deal with the Walt Disney Company, NBCUniversal and Amazon.

For the first time since the 2001-02 season, fans can watch the games on NBC again. ABC/ESPN, NBC/Peacock and Prime Video are also part of the new TV deal that will start in the 2025-26 season.

According to Front Office Sports, there will also be 75 nationally televised games next season. They also reported that there will be a national game every day of the week after football season ends.

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The TV deal with NBC, which will net the league $2.5 billion annually, will be a "huge dilemma," according to Barkley.

"I think the NBA's got a big problem," Barkley said on Tuesday. "How are regular fans... Sometimes the games going to be on Peacock and it's not going to be on NBC. I think that's a huge dilemma for the NBA."

Bill Simmons, the host, told Chuck that the league doesn't care about the fans. Charles Barkley agreed with his take and went on to point out how the number of games on different platforms could create a problem soon.

"I agree, they took the money... I think it's a big deal because they just took all the money from all 3 networks. I don't think they give a s**t about the fans. I think this is going to come back to bite them.

"The thing that scares (me), the deal is for 11 years. So now, people complain all they want to for the next 11 years. They don't give a s**t about the fans."

Charles Barkley has no idea if Inside the NBA will work with their new network

Part of the NBA's TV deal led to the hit basketball analysis show almost getting cancelled. Fortunately for Charles Barkley and the rest of the crew, they'll continue to air the program. Only this time, they'll be on ESPN rather than TNT.

With the move to a different network, there are questions about how it will work. Barkley confirmed that the show will still be done in their studio in Atlanta. However, he said on Bill Simmons' show that there is still a lot that needs to be worked out.

"We don't know," Barkley said. "This has been one of the worst...TNT just sucks to be honest with you, Bill. They made this deal, they haven't told us when we're going to work. They haven't told us how it's going to work."

Inside the NBA has been around since 1989, and Charles Barkley joined the crew in 2000. He co-hosts the show with Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith and Shaquille O'Neal. Together, the quartet produces an entertaining basketball-centric show that no other program has been able to replicate.

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About the author

Reign Amurao

Reign Amurao specializes in basketball at Sportskeeda, bringing 3 years of experience to his role and a Bachelor's Degree in Communication.

A fervent supporter of the Phoenix Suns, Reign was hooked to their electrifying "Seven-Seconds-Or-Less" offense, which epitomizes high-paced and high-intensity basketball. For Reign, Steve Nash is the ultimate floor general, and he believes Boris Diaw could've been the next Magic Johnson if he had a bit more discipline. 

From Reign's perspective, Anthony Edwards is a 90s player stuck in modern times, and Gregg Popovich is an ultimate winner with unparalleled success and leadership in the sport.

Reign's expertise lies in NBA history, particularly the significant moments and trends of the 2000s and 2010s. He prioritizes in-depth research using only credible sources to maintain accuracy in his articles, and avoids misleading topics.

Beyond basketball, Reign enjoys gaming with friends and watches comedy shows and films.

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