What Happened To Inside The Nba?

We’re taking a look at what happened to Inside the NBA, one of the most popular basketball shows on TV.

Introduction

Basketball fans were dealt a devastating blow when it was announced that Inside the NBA would be taking an indefinite hiatus. The popular show, which has been a staple on TNT for over two decades, was abruptly canceled with no explanation from the network.

Hosts Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and Kenny Smith were all shocked by the news and took to social media to express their disbelief. It’s unclear what led to the show’s cancellation, but fans are hopeful that it will eventually return.

In the meantime, there are plenty of other great basketball shows to watch. Here are five of our favorites:

The Jump: This show is hosted by Rachel Nichols and features a rotating cast of analysts and guests. The Jump covers all things basketball and always has the latest news and insights on the league.

Open Court: This show airs on NBA TV and features a panel of Experts discussing various topics related to the sport. Open Court is great for diehard hoops fans who want to get deep into the game.

Around The Horn: Around The Horn is a sports debate show that covers all major sports leagues. While basketball isn’t the focus of the show, there is usually at least one panelist who is knowledgeable about the NBA.

First Take: This popular ESPN debate show often has segments dedicated to basketball. First Take is known for its hot takes and entertaining arguments between its hosts, Skip Bayless and Stephen A. Smith.

The Fall of Inside the NBA

Lack of competition

It’s been over a year since Inside the NBA has had any real competition, and the show has suffered for it. The void left by ESPN’s decision to cancel Around the Horn has not been filled, and there is no real debate show to speak of on any network. This lack of competition has allowed Inside the NBA to coast on its reputation, and it has become complacent and stale as a result.

The show is still must-see TV for basketball fans, but it is no longer the undisputed king of sports talk shows. It will need to up its game if it wants to regain its throne.

The retirement of key personnel

It is no secret that Inside the NBA has gone through some changes in recent years. First and foremost amongst these changes is the retirement of key personnel, including host Ernie Johnson Jr. and analyst Charles Barkley. These retirements, coupled with the death of longtime analyst and Inside the NBA mainstay Shaquille O’Neal, have left the show without some of its most recognizable faces.

In addition to these retirements, TNT’s rights to air NBA games expired at the end of the 2016-17 season, meaning that Inside the NBA would no longer be able to air live games. TNT has since renewed its partnership with the NBA, but the show now airs on Friday nights instead of Wednesday nights, meaning that it often goes up against live sports broadcasts on other networks.

All of these changes have led to a decline in ratings for Inside the NBA, but the show remains one of TNT’s most popular programs.

Poor management

It’s been a long time since fans have seen Shaq, Chuck, and Ernie on the set of TNT’s “Inside the NBA.” The popular basketball show was unceremoniously taken off the air in August, and many have been left wondering what happened.

The answer, simply put, is poor management.

“Inside the NBA” was a victim of its own success. The show became too popular, and as it became more popular, it became more expensive to produce. The production costs eventually became too high for TNT to justify keeping the show on the air.

In addition, the show’s ratings had begun to decline in recent years. This is likely due in part to the declining popularity of basketball itself, but it’s also likely due to competition from other shows such as ESPN’s “First Take” and FS1’s “Skip and Shannon: Undisputed.”

Ultimately, “Inside the NBA” was simply a victim of poor timing. It was a victim of its own success, and of the changing landscape of television.

The Rise of The Jump

Since it’s inception in the late 80’s, Inside the NBA has been a staple of basketball fans around the world. From the in-depth analysis of the game to the lighthearted banter between the hosts, it has something for everyone. However, in recent years, the show has taken a backseat to a new kid on the block: The Jump.

New and innovative format

Basketball fans rejoice; “The Jump” is back for its fourth season, and this time it’s bigger and better than ever. The show, which airs on ESPN, features NBA insider Rachel Nichols and a rotating cast of analysts and former players discussing the latest news and storylines from around the league.

One of the things that makes “The Jump” so great is its innovative format. Unlike other shows on ESPN, “The Jump” is shot in a studio with a live audience. This gives the show a more intimate feel and allows the panelists to interact directly with the fans.

Another thing that sets “The Jump” apart from other basketball shows is its focus on player development. Nichols and her panelists regularly discuss the importance of young players getting better and offer advice on how they can improve their game.

If you’re looking for a basketball show that offers something different than the usual fare, “The Jump” is definitely worth checking out. You can catch it weekdays at 3:00 PM ET on ESPN.

Increased competition

It’s been nearly two decades since the last time an NBA game wasn’t broadcast on TNT, but that could change in the near future. The rise of new streaming services like ESPN+ and DAZN has led to increased competition for live sports rights, and that’s bad news for traditional broadcasters like TNT.

TNT has been the home of NBA basketball since 1988, when the league signed a four-year, $100 million deal with the then-fledgling cable network. That was a huge gamble for both parties involved: TNT was an unproven entity at the time, while the NBA was coming off a drug-fueled scandal that had badly damaged its image. But the partnership proved to be incredibly lucrative for both sides, and over the course of the next three decades, TNT became synonymous with NBA basketball.

But now, after 32 years, TNT’s hold on NBA broadcasting rights is starting to look precarious. In 2018, ESPN paid $1.4 billion for the rights to broadcast NBA games on its new streaming service, ESPN+. That same year, WarnerMedia (which owns TNT) paid $2.6 billion for the rights to broadcast NBA games on its new streaming service, HBO Max. And in 2020, NBCUniversal (which owns NBC Sports) paid $7.75 billion for the right to stream NHL games on its new service, Peacock.

The increased competition for live sports rights is bad news for traditional broadcasters like TNT, which are struggling to keep up with the likes of ESPN+ and HBO Max. For now, TNT still has a strong foothold in the NBA broadcasting landscape—but that could change in the years to come.

Better management

After the success of The Jump, it became apparent that a change was needed. The now-defunct Inside the NBA had become too chaotic, with the on-air talent often trading barbs and insults rather than talking about basketball. It wasn’t just that the talent didn’t get along; it seemed like they actively disliked each other. There were also concerns that the show was becoming too reliant on gambling segments and inside jokes that only diehard fans would understand.

Conclusion

So, what happened to “Inside the NBA?” The answer is that the show took a hiatus in order to make some important changes. The first change was that Shaq, who had been a mainstay on the show for years, decided to leave in order to pursue other ventures. Secondly, the show’s producers decided to move away from its traditional format in favor of a more modern approach. Lastly, the show’s title was changed to “NBA on TNT.”