Charles Barkley is blasting the NBA's move to snub a broadcast deal from Warner Bros. Discovery to continue airing games in favor of teaming with Amazon, claiming the pro basketball league is choosing money over fans.
The NBA announced this week that it had inked 11-year agreements to air games on Amazon Prime Video, Disney and NBC. Warner Bros. owns cable channel TNT, which has carried NBA games for nearly four decades as well as "Inside the NBA," an Emmy-award winning show hosted by Barkley, Ernie Johnson, Shaquille O'Neal and Kenny Smith.
"Clearly, the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning," Barkley wrote in a social media post on Friday. "I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance. TNT matched the money. The league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn't want to piss them off."
"It's a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans," he added. "It just sucks."
The NBA didn't immediately respond to a request for comment about Barkley's statement.
Warner Bros. files suit
Warner Bros. Discovery isn't taking the rejection lying down. The media giant on Friday filed a lawsuit against the NBA in New York state court in Manhattan. It is requesting an order to delay the league's new deal from taking effect for the 2025-26 season, along with a judgment that Warner Bros. Discovery matched Amazon Prime Video's offer.
The company also claims that its existing agreement with the NBA gives it the right to match any competing offers to broadcast games, according to the suit.
"Given the NBA's unjustified rejection of our matching of a third-party offer, we have taken legal action to enforce our rights," TNT Sports said in a statement. "We strongly believe this is not just our contractual right, but also in the best interest of fans who want to keep watching our industry-leading NBA content with the choice and flexibility we offer them through our widely distributed WBD video-first distribution platforms — including TNT and Max."
NBA spokesman Mike Bass said in a statement that Warner Bros. Discovery's claims are "without merit" and that "our lawyers will address them."
The NBA's new broadcast pact leaves the fate of "Inside the NBA" unclear. The new deals means that games will be televised on a mix of both broadcast TV and streaming services, including Amazon Prime as well as Peacock and ESPN's upcoming standalone streaming service, expected to launch in 2025. The agreements are worth a combined $76 billion, according to the Associated Press.
In an interview with The Athletic, Barkley said Friday he will continue his 10-year, $210 million contract with TNT Sports or consider offers from Amazon, ESPN or NBC.
—The Associated Press contributed to this report
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