Shaq agrees mega new $15m deal to keep Inside The NBA team together despite TNT losing rights to Amazon

SHAQUILLE O'NEAL has agreed a new $15 million per year contract to stay with TNT Sports, according to reports.

The 52-year-old's new deal will see TNT's Inside the NBA team stay together, despite the network losing the rights to broadcast live games.

As of next season, NBC Sports and Amazon Prime Video will join ESPN as the league's official broadcast partners.

Nevertheless, per Front Office Sports, Shaq has agreed a bumper new deal to stay with Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Kenny Smith on TNT.

Inside the NBA will remain on the air next season, after TNT agreed to license it to ESPN.

In exchange, ESPN will send a series of Big 12 college basketball and football games to TNT.

READ MORE ON THE NBA Despite his upcoming extension, Shaq joked about being "fired" this week.

"In the words of Marshawn Lynch, Im tired as s***, America," spluttered an out-of-breath Shaq as he returned to the TNT desk.

Johnson appeared to try and interject as the TNT broadcast ran to commercials.

But Shaq's microphone was still on as the camera cut to a shot of the San Francisco Bay Area.

Most read in Basketball "We getting fired anyway, Ernie.

F*** it," Shaq was heard saying, to howls of laughter from his co-stars.

O'Neal's TNT colleague Barkley is believed to have been strongly courted by both NBC and Amazon Prime .

Speaking on his Steam Room podcast alongside Johnson, the 61-year-old poured cold water on speculation surrounding a potential move.

"I'm informing NBC that I will not accept their offer," Barkley said.

"Inside the NBA." "I'm going to cancel future meetings with Amazon.

"My heart is always and will be at Turner Sports." The NBA signed an 11-year deal with three networks for the league's rights from the 2025-26 season.

And there will be no games on TNT for the first time since the network launched in 1988.

The Walt Disney Company will continue to show the league with 80 regular-season games across ESPN and ABC.

They will also show around 18 playoff games from the first and second round, a Conference Finals series for 10 of the 11 years, and remain the home of the NBA Finals.

NBC will return as an NBA broadcaster for the first time since 2002.

The network will show up to 100 games per season across it's channels and Peacock streaming service.

It will also be the home of NBA All-Star and show approximately 28 playoff games from the first and second round.

NBC will show one Conference Finals Series for six of the 11 years, rotating with new broadcaster Amazon Prime.

Amazon will show 66 NBA regular-season games including one on Black Friday.

The streaming service is also the home of the latter stages of the NBA Cup and the entire Play-In Tournament.

Prime will also broadcast around one third of the playoff games in the first and second round.

Barkley most recently penned a contract extension in 2022.

His latest deal saw him paid $21 million per year - more than Shaq will receive in his new deal.

The TNT Sports crew are in San Francisco at the moment for the 2025 All-Star Weekend.

Last night saw team C win the Rising Stars tournament - with San Antonio Spurs rookie Stephon Castle winning he tournament's MVP.

Read More on The US Sun They will advance to Sunday's newly revamped All-Star tournament.

Tonight the Dunk Contest will be contested between Castle, Andre Jackson Jr, Matas Buzelis and two-time reigning champion Mac McClung.

This article has been shared from the original article on thesun, here is the link to the original article.