ESPN aims to let ‘Inside the NBA’s’ postgame match runtime on TNT

ESPN doesn’t want to strip “Inside the NBA” of editorial control, and they also don’t want to alter the show’s runtime.

It’s been nearly one year since ESPN agreed to license Inside the NBA from TNT Sports, keeping the show featuring Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and its behind-the-scenes staff intact. And despite ESPN taking a hands-off approach with The Pat McAfee Show, Barkley and others have still expressed concern about how Inside the NBA will be viewed by the Worldwide Leader.

But no one is worried about ESPN suits stripping Inside the NBA of editorial control or making a phone call telling Barkley to stop mocking the network’s love for the Lakers. Any concern about ESPN potentially damaging Inside the NBA stems from the show’s airtime and duration.

As they prepare to meet with Barkley and the entire cast next week to discuss plans for the show this season, ESPN president of content Burke Magnus spoke with Richard Deitsch of The Athletic and attempted to ease those concerns. According to Deitsch, Magnus said ESPN’s “goal” is to give Inside the NBA as much airtime as it had with TNT.

“It will be as close to that as we can possibly get,” Magnus told Deitsch in an upcoming episode of The Sports Media Podcast.

That’s a bold claim, but it’s exactly what fans want to hear. On TNT, Inside the NBA’s postgame ran for as long as two hours, often signing off close to 2 a.m. ET. And some of the show’s best content happened during those early morning hours, when Barkley and Shaq start to care even less about who might be watching.

“When these guys are going, we’re going to let them go,” Magnus continued to Deitsch. “We have a few more complications than Turner with live events, but we also have more platforms and more networks to deal with. We want the same outcome as the headline here. The equivalent would be if we acquired College GameDay and then said, ‘You know what? We think two hours is better than three.’ None of that is going to happen.”

Last month, reports stated ESPN was planning to allot just a 30-minute window for Inside the NBA postgame. That window, however, was more of a placeholder, with Magnus now making it known that Inside the NBA won’t be limited on ESPN.

Magnus acknowledged ESPN traditionally aims to get to SportsCenter at night, but implied the operating procedure could change when Inside the NBA is on. While Magnus didn’t map out exactly how Inside will air and when, it’s clear they will prioritize giving the show as much runtime as it wants.