First ‘Inside the NBA’ on ESPN set for 30-minute window, per report

Many people’s fears about Inside the NBA‘s transition from TNT to ESPN may soon be realized.

According to a report by Jon Lewis of Sports Media Watch, the first edition of Inside the NBA is set to air on ESPN following its first NBA doubleheader of the season on October 22. However, those accustomed to over an hour of banter from Charles Barkley, Shaquille O’Neal, and the rest of the Inside crew during a postgame show might leave disappointed.

Per Lewis, citing ESPN’s advance schedule, the debut of Inside the NBA on ESPN is set for just a 30-minute window. “The show would run from 12:05 – 12:35 a.m. ET, leading into a Bristol-based SportsCenter at 12:35,” Lewis reports.

It is important to note, the advance schedule is subject to change, and perhaps the 30-minute window currently given to the show is flexible. The length of Inside the NBA and the rigidity of ESPN’s programming windows have been a subject of concern for fans of the show as it prepares its transition to the new network. Just last month, Barkley echoed those concerns, jokingly saying, “Are they gonna say we gotta go to the SportsCenter?”

Also of note, SportsCenter with Scott Van Pelt, which typically leads out of ESPN’s most important live event programming, is not on the schedule for the network’s NBA season debut. Van Pelt is on the schedule for the second night of NBA games on October 23, with Inside seemingly getting the night off. The TNT-produced NBA Tip-Off will serve as the pregame show for both nights of NBA coverage, according to the advance schedule.

Outside of the first week of NBA games on ESPN, Inside is not scheduled to appear on ESPN airwaves again until Christmas Day.