Charles Barkley, the man at the center of this story, made this revelation on the Dan Le Batard Show podcast. He had the opportunity to abandon ship as TNT faced the last year of its NBA broadcasting contract. Other networks involved in the new 11-year broadcasting deal were ready to welcome him with open arms and fat checks.
But Barkley, who had been with TNT Sports since signing a 10-year agreement in 2022, decided to stay put until the 2025-2026 season. His decision was driven by a desire to ensure his team’s financial stability.
As People Magazine reported, Barkley’s exit would have been legally sound given that the network had lost its broadcasting rights. But Barkley was not about to let legalities dictate his actions.
“I love my TNT Sports family,” Barkley declared in a statement released by Turner. “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible.”
Barkley’s commitment to his team is unwavering. “We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future.”
In late July, NBA signed a $1.8 billion per year offer from ESPN’s parent company Walt Disney, NBC, and Amazon for the next 11 years of NBA coverage, while TNT’s equivalent offer was rejected. Despite this setback, Barkley remained steadfast.
The league expressed its excitement about another season on TNT, but Turner Sports announced it would explore legal options.
Barkley thanked all the networks that reached out to him with lucrative offers. “It was really humbling and cool, to be honest with you. Even though they were throwing crazy numbers, like damn, but as long as I got my people safe at TNT man, I feel really good,” he said on the Dan Le Batard show.
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Source: Good News Network
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