TNT 'loses NBA rights' in HUGE blow for 'Inside the NBA' stars Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal... with ESPN, NBC and Amazon set to sign $7.4B a year deal'

NBA chiefs are reportedly set to sign television deals with ESPN, NBC and Amazon for a combined $7.4billion per year, in what would represent a major blow to TNT.

According to Sports Business Journal, the NBA is formalizing written contracts with all three companies this week as negotiations enter the 'final stage'.

The news is likely to upset fans of Charles Barkley and Shaquille O'Neal, who are both analysts on TNT's popular show 'Inside the NBA'. It's claimed that this development could lead TNT's parent company Warner Bros. Discovery to take legal action.

ESPN will reportedly pay $2.8bn per year for the league's most prized set of games, including the NBA finals, a conference final, weekly primetime clashes and the WNBA.

NBC, meanwhile, is set to fork out $2.6bn annually for the 'B' package, which would likely include a show called 'Basketball Night in America', airing on Sunday evenings after the NFL season.

According to SBJ, NBC would also secure a conference semifinals, a conference final and two primetime slots per week.

Amazon's deal - said to be worth up to $2bn - would come with the In-Season Tournaments, first-round playoff games and the WNBA. Final changes to the deal are expected to be ironed out over the next week. 

Only last week, NBA legend O'Neal said he was 'very confident' that 'Inside the NBA' would remain on TNT next season.

The beloved studio show features O'Neal, Barkley, Kenny Smith and host Ernie Johnson.

'I don't know (about the show's future), but hopefully (Warner Bros. Discovery CEO) David Zaslav will take care of business, I'm sure he will,' he said. 

'I think we're in a great spot right now.'

Barkley was a little less certain, adding: 'It'd be sad (if the show ended). We don't know... I hope it does (continue). Not just for me and Kenny, Ernie, and Shaq, but for the real people who work there, it sucks right now to be stressful.'