The multimillion-dollar deal between the NBA and Amazon Prime Video caused controversy since the beginning, as the league sidelined its partner of more than 30 years, the TNT network. Charles Barkley no longer wanted to keep quiet about it and gave the NBA a piece of his mind.
The former Phoenix Suns forward is part of the cast of Inside the NBA along with Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson Jr., and Kenny Smith. In his career with TNT, the former player has won five Sports Emmy Awards for “Outstanding Studio Analyst.”
Just yesterday, the National Basketball Association (NBA) announced its television contracts for the next 11 years. Among them are the renewal of its partnership with The Walt Disney Company and new agreements with NBCUniversal and Amazon.
The agreement with Jeff Bezos’ company did not sit well with everyone, especially Barkley, who accused the NBA and Commissioner Adam Silver of not giving the network owned by Ted Turner a proper chance.
Barkley is furious
“Clearly, the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning,” said the former player in a statement on his account on X (formerly Twitter). He also stressed that the NBA did not give the network a fair chance.
“TNT matched the money. But 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,” considered the Hall of Famer.
He also lamented Silver and the league’s decision by saying, “It’s sad when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks.” Barkley ended by thanking the network and NBA fans for their loyalty. “We’re going to give you everything we have next season,” he concluded.
The NBA is determined to make a complete move
For its part, the league seems to be determined to leaveTNT for good. “Our new global media agreements with Disney, NBCUniversal and Amazon will maximize the reach and accessibility of NBA games for fans in the United States and around the world,” explained Silver in a press release.
“These partners will distribute our content across a wide range of platforms and help transform the fan experience over the next decade,” said the commissioner, advancing the long-term vision he has for the NBA.
