Charles Barkley Explains Why He Doesn’t Want TNT to Sue NBA Over Media Rights Deal

Kristen Wong | Jul 26, 2024

Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports

In the wake of TNT’s plans to take legal action against the NBA after the league announced its new 11-year media rights deal, Inside The NBA analyst Charles Barkley appears to be on the other side of the fight.

Warner Bros. Discovery, who owns TNT, issued a statement on Friday in which the company alleged the league violated a media-rights agreement with TNT when it rejected their offer and instead struck a deal with Amazon Prime Video. Warner has since filed a breach of contract suit and appears to be heading toward a tense legal battle with the league. 

Barkley, who released a statement criticizing the NBA for prioritizing money over the fans earlier on Friday, doesn’t seem keen on wading into murky legal waters, though.

“I wouldn’t want them to sue,” Barkley told Andrew Marchand of The Athletic. “The NBA clearly wanted to break up with us. I don’t want to be in a relationship where I have to sue somebody to be in it. That makes zero sense. If you have to sue somebody to stay in a relationship, do you think that is a healthy relationship?”

Earlier this week, the NBA awarded its new media rights deal—valued at $77 billion—to a trio of partners: NBC Universal, Walt Disney Company (who owns ESPN and ABC) and Amazon Prime Video. 

As things stand, TNT will lose its NBA media rights after the 2025-26 season, and this upcoming year will mark the final series of the iconic and widely beloved sports program, Inside The NBA.

Barkley, 61, is in the third year of his 10-year, $210 million deal and has reportedly been in talks with ESPN, NBC and Amazon over his future free agent status. However, Barkley said he planned to retire during the NBA Finals and reiterated that sentiment again on Friday, assuming TNT pays out his contract in full.

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