Charles Barkley has been an analyst with TNT since 2000, but the changing landscape of NBA media could mean Sir Charles calls a different network home for the first time in 25 years.
Turner Broadcasting will have NBA rights through the 2024-25 season, but after that, the broadcasting company will lose the NBA to Amazon and NBC, who will both join ESPN in covering the NBA moving forward.
The future of "Inside the NBA" has largely been in doubt throughout the media rights battle, but Barkley's status has appeared to be a bit more clear. He has publicly said he added an opt-out to his most recent contract with TNT to give him the flexibility to explore media free agency in the event Turner lost broadcasting rights for the NBA.
"I said, ‘If you guys lose the NBA, I want to make sure that I can get out of here.’ So, I am actually in a really great position,” Barkley said in an interview on 850 ESPN Cleveland.
“Listen, I love TNT, they’ve been great to me … I wanted to make sure that if we lost the NBA in two years, I could be a free agent.”
Where could Barkley go if he decides to use that opt-out and leave TNT? Here's what you need to know.
MORE: When is 'Inside the NBA' on TNT ending?
Charles Barkley landing spots
Barkley confirmed to The Athletic on July 26 that he will either remain with TNT Sports on his 10-year, $210 million contract—if the network guarantees it—or he will listen to other offers. During the NBA Finals he said he planned to retire, and while not fully withdrawing those statements, Barkley has talked with ESPN, NBC and Amazon for the last couple of months.
ESPN
All expectations are ESPN will retain exclusive broadcasting for the NBA Finals and will remain the top partner of the NBA. The network has shown in recent years it has no problem trying to retain or bring in the biggest-name talents in sports to analyze the game.
ESPN brought Joe Buck and Troy Aikman from Fox to handle "Monday Night Football," paying Buck between $60 million and $75 million over five years and Aikman making around $90 million over the course of his five-year contract.
Barkley's latest deal with TNT, which was signed in 2022, was for 10 years, paying him upward of $100 million, per the New York Post.
Front Office Sports predicted Barkley could receive offers that range between $18 million and $20 million annually. ESPN could be ready to hand out that type of money, and the allure of being on the network that will cover the biggest playoff games could add extra incentive for Barkley to join ESPN.
Amazon
When Prime landed "Thursday Night Football," it made a major splash by landing Al Michaels and bringing on Kirk Herbstreit to be an analyst. Signing Barkley for its burgeoning NBA coverage would be a similar move.
Amazon is reportedly paying Michaels roughly $1 million per game, which is about $15-$16 million per year. The massive tech company could easily hand Barkley a large deal to make him the highlight of the new NBA coverage.
For Barkley, joining Amazon would be a chance to not only command a big salary but also to be the face of the upstart basketball broadcasts on the streaming service.
NBC
Not to be left out, NBC should also be in contention for Barkley. Since the network will be carrying NBA games starting in 2025-26, it should appeal to Barkley as he looks for a new home.
The network has not carried NBA games since 2002 and will need to build out its staff of analysts to prepare for the renewed coverage. NBC pays out plenty for its large "Football Night in America" staff, but if it's investing in the NBA, it will also want to have at least one marquee name among its panelists.
Similar to Amazon, NBC would offer Barkley the opportunity to be the face of the new broadcast crew. Unlike Amazon, NBC is on over-the-air television and has a history of being the top NBA broadcast during the 1990s when Barkley played.