Amazon has interest in pursuing members of TNT's "Inside the NBA" cast when it begins broadcasting games in 2025. The feasibility of making that a reality is unclear as Ernie Johnson is believed to be staying with Turner, while Charles Barkley has said he plans to retire. Barkley has also said he has an out in his contract if WBD loses the NBA, but those sources indicated that was not necessarily the case.
"I would say, first and foremost, ‘Inside the NBA,’ we view it as the gold standard studio program," Amazon's Jay Marine told SBJ. "We're big fans. I'm a big fan. They are absolutely fantastic, incredibly entertaining. And collectively, that chemistry is really awesome and, to be honest, it was an inspiration for us that we pointed to when we designed our TNF pregame team….That’s what we wanted to aspire to."
Even if Amazon is unable to secure members of the TNT crew, they plan to use "Inside the NBA" as a model for its Thursday night coverage as they did for the NFL.