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Shaquille O’Neal looks over at a co-host on Inside the NBA.<\/p>\n Shaquille O’Neal looks over at a co-host on Inside the NBA.<\/p>\n
Inside the NBA has been on ESPN for several months now and, so far, the beloved sports show\u2019s format has remained relatively unchanged. What has been different, however, is the frequency by which the show airs, as it no longer drops on a weekly basis like it did on TNT. After the schedule was initially released<\/a>, fans expressed their discontent over there being fewer broadcasts during the final months of 2025. Some viewers are still less than pleased and, meanwhile, co-host Shaquille O\u2019Neal is revealing why he likes the change.<\/p>\n The latest season of Inside premiered on ESPN near the end of October 2025 and, between then and last December, only five broadcasts were scheduled. At present, the show is set to return in late January amid the 2026 TV schedule<\/a>. It\u2019s more than apparent that lately, fans haven\u2019t been able to see Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley, Kenny Smith and Shaq together on air as much. Shaq, who previously sought to ease concerns<\/a>, addressed the changes while speaking with Sports Illustrated<\/a>, and he sees a silver lining to this change:<\/p>\n I actually like it. Because with a lot of competition, you got all these other guys doing it, and we haven\u2019t really been on a lot. But as I\u2019m looking at the schedule, when the playoffs start, you\u2019re going to have the big dogs talking.<\/p>\n What seems to appeal to The Diesel here is the notion of Inside having the opportunity to distance itself amid a flooded sports media market. Shaq also believes that those absences will also prop up excitement for the remainder of the show\u2019s season, which will see the team cover the postseason. And, this year, said coverage will also include the NBA Finals, which has been an exciting prospect. It sounds like the Los Angeles Lakers legend is definitely pumped, and he doubled down on his sentiments:<\/p>\n The fact that I\u2019ve only worked two times last year and I haven\u2019t even worked once this year, but I\u2019m looking at my schedule and once March comes, you\u2019re going to have the big dogs on and people will tune in. I remember when it was just us and ESPN, but now it\u2019s this and it\u2019s that and that. And everyone\u2019s doing a great job, but when the playoffs start, you got to see the big dogs. You got to see the boys.<\/p>\n Fans are now seeing \u201cthe boys\u201d on Disney\u2019s flagship sports network at all due to TNT\u2019s parent company (Warner Bros. Discovery) losing the broadcast rights to the NBA in 2024. After that, it seemed Inside the NBA would be canceled<\/a>, and Charles Barkley was particularly vocal<\/a> about how displeased he was with his employers\u2019 handling of the matter. Eventually, WBD inked a multi-year licensing agreement with ESPN<\/a> to keep Inside on the air, beginning with the 2025-2026 TV season.<\/p>\n