TNT licensed Inside the NBA to ESPN after losing NBA game rights, with Turner retaining production in Atlanta and the four hosts remaining TNT employees. ESPN controls the show’s airtime, and advance listings currently allot tentative 30-minute postgame windows on October 22–23 that are placeholders subject to change. Charles Barkley said TNT has not told the hosts when or how the show will run on ESPN, including whether extended postgame segments will remain or give way to SportsCenter. Barkley said he declined an NBC offer due to a heavier workload and required cross-network appearances, adding that NBC was willing to base a studio show in Atlanta and that Ernie Johnson also spoke with the network. He criticized the league’s new multi-network rights setup as confusing for fans and said he wants written guarantees from Turner, suggesting he could seek free agency if that does not happen.
