Inside the NBA made its ESPN debut on Wednesday, and fans of the show would be happy to know that everything that made it so great has mostly stayed the same since making the transition over from TNT Sports.
Fans were greeted with the same theme music, graphics, as well as Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and Ernie Johnson Jr. acting as their normal-selves. The crew did not hold back either, as Barkley addressed previous negative comments he had made about ESPN right off the top of the show.
Same Chuck, Kenny, Shaq and Ernie
Inside the NBA is BACK, this time on ESPN‼️🔥 pic.twitter.com/xoPaZ6O0px
— ESPN (@espn) October 22, 2025
Johnson began the program by welcoming viewers to studio J in Atlanta, with a nod to their new network of ESPN. Network executives made it very clear that they did not want to make any changes to the show, and so far ESPN has held that promise, with TNT still producing all aspects of Inside.
ESPN President of Content Burke Magnus told the SI Media With Jimmy Traina back in November, “They’re going to produce it, and that’s exactly what we want. Of course we’re not going to change the show. Why would we take something so successful and so iconic, bring it over and then be like, ‘We know better, we’re gonna change it.’”
Magnus added, “We don’t want to change it. We don’t want to interject new talent into it. We don’t want to really do anything to it.”
This lines up with a new way that ESPN is doing things, giving more control to their talent. Since adding The Pat McAfee Show to the network’s lineup, McAfee’s program has continued to be produced in-house by his production staff in Indianapolis, along with his graphics, format and music.
Meanwhile, even though First Take is produced by ESPN, Stephen A. Smith’s role has continued to increase in the show as an executive producer, in addition to being a co-host for the program. Most recently, Smith helped name Shae Cornette as First Take’s new moderator.
One of the major concerns of Inside’s move to ESPN was the length of the show, as many speculated that there could be a rush to shorten Inside to get to SportsCenter. Wednesday’s debut show aired for its normal runtime of an hour, ending with Ernie Johnson’s infamous Neat-O Stat of the Night (unsullied by sponsorship since 1989). With new faces in new places, The segment featured Johnson quizzing Barkley on broadcasters’ network affiliations, a playful twist on the show’s annual “Who He Play For?” bit.
Inside the NBA takes ESPN
Ernie signed off with the SportsCenter sound on Inside the NBA 🎶🔥 pic.twitter.com/3N6eg4IiRu
— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) October 23, 2025
“We’ll be here today.” 😭
Inside the NBA is on BACK-TO-BACK NIGHTS‼️ Tune in Thursday at 6:30 PM ET on ESPN 🍿 pic.twitter.com/cpFWdwcaS4
— ESPN (@espn) October 23, 2025
When and where to watch
Night two of Inside the NBA airs tonight at 6:30 p.m. ET on ESPN and ESPN2, featuring Barkley’s yearly “Who He Play For?” quiz. The show’s early-season schedule is lighter, airing just twice in November and December combined.
Inside the NBA will play an integral role in ESPN and ABC’s coverage of the most marquee events of the season, including the highly anticipated annual tradition of the NBA on Christmas Day, as well as the exclusive, national NBA game of the week franchises – NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC and ABC’s NBA Sunday Showcase. Inside the NBA will air on ESPN and ABC throughout the NBA Playoffs, including the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals.
Inside the NBA pregame shows airing on ESPN will begin one hour before tipoff, with the postgame shows starting immediately after game coverage has concluded. The pregame shows on ABC will begin 30 minutes prior to tipoff. The postgame shows following NBA Saturday Primetime on ABC will start immediately after the game on ABC and continue on the ESPN App. Inside the NBA will serve as the pregame show for the NBA Sunday Showcase series on ABC.
