ESPN president of content material Burke Magnus advised The Athletic on Friday that his firm won’t be making many adjustments to the present format of Contained in the NBA.
Inside The NBA To Debut On ESPN This Fall
Contained in the NBA might be making its ESPN debut subsequent month for the upcoming 2025-26 NBA season after beforehand airing for NBA on TNT broadcasts from Nov. 4, 1989, by means of Might 31, 2025.
Magnus mentioned ESPN’s present will air stay on the community for the pregame, halftime, and postgame.
Though Jon Lewis of Sports activities Media Watch reported final month that Contained in the NBA will air in a half-hour timeslot in the beginning of the season, Magnus talked about the present will air so long as it did on TNT for postgame speak.
“That’s our aim. Will probably be as near that as we are able to probably get. I perceive that customary working process for us for a few years has been to get to SportsCenter,” he mentioned.
“There’s going to be 200 or 300 (different) nights or in order that we’re nonetheless going to do this.”
TNT Commentator Quartet To Make Its Return
The enduring commentator quartet of Charles Barkley, Ernie Johnson Jr., Kenny Smith, and Shaquille O’Neal may even be a part of ESPN’s opening night time protection on Wednesday, Oct. 22.
“[Fans are] going to get the present they love in a manner that’s similar to the best way it’s all the time been,” Magnus added. “It’s nonetheless produced in Atlanta by the exact same folks that produced it for Turner. It’s of their constructing. Aside from a emblem on the set, it’s going to seem the identical, and that’s precisely what we would like.”
The present may have a “hiatus early within the season, as ESPN’s NBA schedule is backloaded,” however it will likely be on the air for the Christmas Day lineup. Magnus confirmed that the group “might be on the air for all of ESPN’s playoff nights.”
When Contained in the NBA is just not internet hosting, Magnus mentioned ESPN will proceed to make use of its NBA Countdown crew.
It ought to be famous that whereas the unique present usually aired on Tuesdays and Thursdays, ESPN is about to air video games on Wednesdays, Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.
