Charles Barkley recently committed to remaining at TNT even if the network loses its NBA broadcast rights, and he says he left an enormous sum of money on the table by doing so.
In an appearance on the “Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz” Tuesday, Barkley said the most important thing to him when deciding to stay at TNT was that the people he works with would get to keep their jobs. The Hall of Famer says that is the primary reason he chose not to leave his current position. Barkley was then asked how much money he could have made from a rival network, and he said he took “a minimum of $100 million” less by remaining with TNT.
“A minimum of $100 million, a minimum. It was a great feeling. I want to thank all those networks for reaching out to me. It was really humbling and cool, to be honest with you,” Barkley said. “Even though they were throwing crazy numbers, I was like, ‘Damn, as long as I got my people safe at TNT, man, I feel really good.’ Like I say, they’re gonna pay me to go and talk about nothing, so I can’t look a gift horse in the mouth. I probably woulda had to do an honest day’s work if I went to one of those other networks.”
How much did Charles Barkley lose by returning to TNT?
"A minimum of $100 million. A minimum."
Barkley explains why he chose to return to Turner Sports as a broadcasting free agent.
"The number-one thing for me is that my people at Turner get to keep their jobs another year." pic.twitter.com/lGLZgg4nFZ
— Dan Le Batard Show with Stugotz (@LeBatardShow) August 13, 2024
Barkley signed a 10-year, $210 million contract with TNT in 2022. The $100 million he was referring to is obviously an overall figure and is not all that hard to believe. If TNT is willing to pay Barkley $21 million per year, it would stand to reason that another network would offer him something like $300 million over a period of 10 years or longer.
TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery is now in a legal battle to keep its NBA rights beyond the 2024-25 season. Even if the network is unsuccessful, Barkley says he has been assured that “Inside the NBA” is not going anywhere. That was obviously the big sticking point for him in talks with TNT.
