Adam Silver Compares ESPN’s ‘Hardcore’ Basketball Coverage To TNT

NBA Commissioner Adam Silver discussed how Inside the NBA will be impacted by the move from TNT to ESPN/ABC.

Adam Silver On Inside The NBA’s Move To ESPN/ABC

Silver appeared on Wednesday’s edition of The Dan Patrick Show.

Patrick brought up the new NBA’s media rights deal, which will begin next season. ESPN/ABC, NBC, and Amazon own the rights packages to broadcast NBA games.

The odd man out is TNT Sports, which will no longer broadcast NBA games.

ESPN agreed to license Inside the NBA. The Emmy-winning studio show featuring Ernie Johnson, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Charles Barkley will air on ESPN and ABC starting next season.

Inside the NBA has been praised for being a great entertainment show. That doesn’t necessarily mean it’s an ideal show for a proper breakdown of the game.

Patrick mentioned Barkley and how his honest and unapologetic personality will translate to the new network. Despite being a fan of the “entertainment show,” Silver remains curious as to how Inside the NBA will look next season.

“They made a decision to take an entertainment route with that studio show,” Silver said about Inside the NBA. “I think ESPN was always about more hardcore basketball. Maybe NBC was somewhere in the middle in the old days. But it’s an entertainment show and he’s entertaining, and fans seem to love it. …

“Charles found a lane, and he does it well. It will be interesting to see how that converts. As you know, they’re now bringing that studio show to ESPN and ABC next year. We’ll see how that works out. I love the fact that those guys are still gonna be involved in our telecast. But I’m not sure whether it will be produced differently for them or there will be a different expectation from ESPN and ABC fans or watchers than maybe what people are seeing late at night on TNT.”

Will Inside The NBA Change Formats Next Season?

Exclusive: 'Inside the NBA' will lead ESPN's NBA pregame and halftime programming, and there will be an extensive postgame show, sources tell FOS.

Sources tell @MMcCarthyREV that ESPN has no plans to change the show’s DNA.

Inside the 'Inside the NBA' transition to ESPN ⬇️

— Front Office Sports (@FOS) June 2, 2025

The biggest concern fans have about Inside the NBA is the format. Will ESPN and ABC let the four hosts continue to do what they do best, which is entertain the fans?

According to Front Office Sports’ Michael McCarthy, ESPN will take a “hands-off” approach to Inside the NBA.

“As one source told me, ‘Some of the speculation’s just nuts. ESPN has wanted Barkley and this show for 20 years,’” McCarthy wrote. “’Now that they’ve got it, why would they change it?’”

ESPN has instituted similar tactics for Pat McAfee, who runs creative for his daily radio show.

McCarthy’s report also stated that ESPN plans to air a postgame show of Inside the NBA. This is where the magic of the show happens, as the group provides unfiltered honesty about the games.