Sports

Charles Barkley considers deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon if TNT doesn’t fully fulfill $210 million contract

Published

6 hours ago

July 27, 2024

Charles Barkley considers deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon if TNT doesn't fully fulfill $210 million contract

Charles Barkley will either stay with TNT Sports under his 10-year, $210 million contract or listen to offers from ESPN, NBC and Amazon Prime Video as he reconsiders retirement, he said. The Athletics on Friday.

“My deal is 10 years, $210 million,” Barkley said in a telephone interview. “Turner has to come to me as soon as possible and they have to guarantee my whole thing, otherwise they can offer me a pay cut, but there is no chance of that happening and I will be (a) free agent.

“My thing was, ‘Wait, y’all, I didn’t get up, why do I have to take a pay cut?’

Barkley is in the third year of his contract.

The NBA this week announced new deals worth a total of $77 billion over 11 years with incumbent ESPN and newcomers NBC and Amazon. The NBA rejected TNT Sports’ matching rights. TNT Sports has filed suit against the league in hopes of acquiring Amazon’s deal, it announced Friday.

“I wouldn’t want them to press charges,” Barkley said. “The NBA clearly wanted to break with us. I don’t want to be in a relationship where I have to accuse someone. That makes no sense.

“If you have to sue someone to keep a relationship, do you think that’s a healthy relationship?”

TNT Sports Statement on NBA Media Rights: pic.twitter.com/C14DPCJ65P

— TNT Sports US PR (@TNTSportsUS) July 26, 2024

Earlier Friday, Barkley released a statement via Bleacher Report saying he did not feel the NBA wanted to make a deal with TNT Sports, which has had a relationship with the league for nearly four decades.

“Eleven years from now, everything will go to streaming,” Barkley said The Athletics. “I think this is just a cash grab, but they needed streaming because in 11 years no one will be able to afford these rights except streaming.

“They have their cake and eat it too. They got ESPN and NBC and they got streaming.”

During the NBA Finals, Barkley, 61, said he planned to retire. He doesn’t fully support those statements, but his ears will be open if he isn’t paid in full by TNT Sports.

Barkley said he has spoken to ESPN, NBC and Amazon in recent months.

“Right now I’m planning on retiring,” Barkley said. “I’m not trying to do anything.”

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Barkley said he would be “stupid” if he didn’t listen and let the entities know about his plans, but he wanted them to get their packages in order.

“But from a compensation standpoint, I said, ‘I’m going to sit down and see what you’re all going to get in the future,’” Barkley said. “I have been honest with all companies.”

Barkely said he’s still hesitant about not having his entire “Inside the NBA” team, including host Ernie Johnson and co-analysts Shaquille O’Neal and Kenny Smith, plus the TNT people behind the scenes who he adores. He expects next year, the last season, to be special.

“We’re going out with a bang,” Barkley said.

Barkley said Johnson won’t be moving to a new network, while he hasn’t checked in on O’Neal or Smith’s plans. The Athletics was told by sources briefed on the other networks’ plans that they could offer to give Barkley and the entire crew, including Johnson, the opportunity to stay in Atlanta and do the same show.

“Everything is still on the table,” Barkley said.

Barkley reiterated that the people he really feels sorry for in this whole situation are the ones behind the scenes who aren’t making millions.

“I feel sorry for the people I work with,” Barkley said. “Many good people will lose their jobs. I have to give TNT credit, they tried everything to stay in the relationship, but the NBA wanted to move on. It’s that simple.”