The NBA’s new $76 billion media rights deal was celebrated as a landmark victory for the league, its teams, and its players. But according to Charles Barkley, it came at the expense of the people who matter most: the fans.

The Hall of Famer and longtime Inside the NBA analyst did not hold back in criticizing commissioner Adam Silver and the league’s priorities, arguing that the historic agreement prioritized profits over accessibility and loyalty. While the deal secured partnerships with ESPN, NBC, and Amazon, it also ended TNT’s decades-long run as an NBA broadcaster, a move Barkley believes reflects a troubling shift in the league’s values. For Barkley, the issue isn’t just about networks or money. It’s about what the NBA is becoming.

“I think the NBA is like we’re just going to take the most money. They weren’t concerned about number one, our show which they didn’t have to. They weren’t really concerned about the fans. They just took the most money. $2.5 billion a year from NBC, from ESPN, from Amazon for the next 11 years. So the players are set for the next eleven years. And god bless them. But the NBA didn’t think about hey how are the NBA fans, they’ve seen the two same networks for the last 40 years. What nights everything is going to be on,” he said on The Howard Eskin Show.

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Barkley’s frustration reflects a sentiment felt across the NBA fanbase, which now faces a fragmented, more expensive viewing landscape. With three partners, fans have to spend more than ever before to catch regular NBA action. The League Pass is a one-stop-for-all medium. However, fans have also criticised the technical difficulties they face when using the pass. Furthermore, they lost a significant connection to Inside the NBA.

With TNT, they had set days. Every Tuesday and Thursday, fans knew exactly what time the Emmy award-winning show would air. ESPN’s gesture ensured the show’s continuity. But their appearances have become sporadic, which has bothered Barkley.

Charles Barkley is still unhappy about the scheduling

Barkley has made no secret of his frustration with how ESPN has deployed Inside the NBA this season. Through the early months, the show appeared only a handful of times, a far cry from the reliable weekly presence it had on TNT. The frequency has since improved, with the crew working heavily as the regular season winds down and the playoffs approach, but Barkley remains critical of how the year was managed.

“I wish they had did a better job of slicing it out for the season. I mean, through December and January, we only worked two days. But now they are making it up. We are working every day this week, which is fine. We’re talking about basketball, it’s not like it’s a real job. But I wish they had did a better job of spreading it out, splashing it up, whatever words you want to use,” he said.

On a positive note, Charles Barkley is also thrilled to be a part of ESPN. The network has exclusive rights to cover the NBA Finals. Throughout Inside the NBA’s decorated run, they never got the chance to cover the biggest series of the season. Likewise, Barkley is eager to do so.

“I’m going to work the Finals for the first time which is pretty cool. And I’m looking forward to that because I’ve never worked the Finals before,” Barkley added.

That tension – frustration with how the transition was handled, excitement for what it now makes possible – is the most honest summary of where Barkley stands. He wanted the fans protected. He wanted the scheduling handled better. He got neither in year one. But come playoff time, Charles Barkley will be exactly where he always dreamed of being, even if he thinks the league sold its soul a little to get him there.