A 10-year agreement has been made between sports commentator Charles Barkley and TNT, The New York Post reported.
The deal’s actual amount isn’t known, but the post alleged that it exceeded $100 million and could reach $200 million. Barkley has a current contract that pays him $10 million each season. His deal with TNT corresponds with TNT’s deal with the NBA, which expires during the 2024-2025 season.
In addition to Barkley, Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, which owns TNT, also made it to where Shaquille O’Neal, Ernie Johnson and Kenny Smith also renewed their deals.
“We’re all a big family. Ernie, Kenny and Shaquille are brothers to me, and I wouldn’t still be here if it wasn’t for them and all the amazing people who work on our show,” Barkley said. “I’m not gonna lie, though, this is a life-altering deal…and I’m blessed to be able to do live television for a living.”
“Our partnership with the NBA is very important to us, and this long-term agreement with the Inside the NBA team is recognition of their significance to that relationship,” Luis Silberwasser, Chairman and CEO of Warner Bros. Discovery Sports, said. “Inside the NBA epitomizes the creativity and innovative spirit we’ve established throughout our successful, long-standing legacy with the league.”
With the new agreements, it is possible that Barkley could decide to retire from TV before the deal ends. He previously mentioned how he didn’t want to be working his whole life.
“It’s been a great, great thing. I love Ernie, Kenny, Shaq, and everybody we work with. But I just don’t feel the need to work until the day I die. I don’t, man. I’ll be 61 years old if I finish out my contract,” he said. “And I don’t want to die on TV. I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing. I don’t want to be sitting inside over [by] fat a** Shaq [waiting] to drop dead.”
