Charles Barkley won’t be retiring after all.
The TNT Sports personality and Inside the NBA co-host will be staying with Warner Bros. Discovery and TNT Sports even after the next NBA season.
TNT Sports said Tuesday that Barkley has “reaffirmed his commitment” to the company, which will see him “exclusively contribute to TNT Sports for many years to come.”
The next season of Inside the NBA could be the last, with TNT Sports set to lose rights after the next season to Amazon. WBD has sued the league to try and stop that from happening.
In a statement, Barkley indicated that he will work with the company to develop new shows, in addition to contributing to other sports programming.
“I love my TNT Sports family. My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible. We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do,” Barkley said. “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. This is the only place for me. I have to say … I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”
Barkley and the other Inside the NBA hosts signed new long-term deals with WBD in late 2022, and a source says that the new commitment is consistent with that deal.
Once it became clear that TNT Sports may lose the NBA, Barkley said that he may try to reboot the show himself, and later on said that he planned to retire after the next season, regardless of what happens. Now that retirement is off.
TNT Sports, meanwhile, has been aggressively adding sports rights, including the French Open and college football, to try and fill the gap that may open from the loss of the NBA.
“Charles is one of the best and most beloved sportscasters in the history of television. I know I speak for all the members of the TNT Sports family when I say we are incredibly thrilled to share this mutual commitment to continue showcasing Charles’ one-of-a-kind talents and entertain fans well into the future,” said TNT Sports CEO Luis Silberwasser. “We continue to add to the breadth and depth of our sports portfolio – including new properties in the College Football Playoffs, Roland-Garros, NASCAR, BIG EAST college basketball, Mountain West football, among others – and it’s fantastic to have Charles for this journey as we develop new content ideas and shows for our fans.”
