Charles Barkley May Thrill Fans on AEW’s Broadcast Team

The NBA has entered into a new partnership with Amazon, NBC, and ESPN, marking the end of its relationship with TNT following the 2024-25 NBA season. According to Charles Barkley, speaking on a recent episode of “The Dan Patrick Show,” TNT intends to continue producing its iconic “Inside The NBA” show, although how this will be achieved without NBA games remains unclear.

“TNT flew to Philly last week and they said, ‘We’re gonna keep doing the show.’ And I’m like, ‘What?’ And they’re like, ‘We’re gonna keep doing the show,’” Barkley shared. “I don’t have any idea what that means. I think they’re gonna try to figure it out. We won’t have the NBA, so I think they’re gonna try to figure it out.”

Meanwhile, AEW’s Tony Khan could be looking to recruit the fan-favorite broadcaster once the NBA season concludes next year. During an appearance on “The Dan Le Batard Show,” Khan suggested that Barkley might join AEW’s broadcast team. Barkley would likely team up with Taz, Excalibur, and Tony Schiavone as part of the broadcast rotation.

“Charles Barkley is a wrestling fan, I think,” Khan said. “We presented the Inside The NBA team with AEW Championship belts. He was great and very gracious… I don’t know what the future of the NBA holds, but Charles Barkley, as far as being one of the top hosts in all of sports and being one of the most entertaining people in all of television, I think he adds to any sport he’s involved in. If he wanted to come to AEW, we would love that. Absolutely, I would encourage that and support that.”

Given that AEW only records shows twice per week and often uses different hosts between Dynamite and Collision, Barkley could potentially sign with the company while still keeping his role with TNT. However, an agreement would likely need to be reached between all parties.

Barkley’s fun-loving and outspoken personality would be a good fit for AEW. He would be given the freedom to be himself, with the hope that his personality would attract new casual viewers. He could become AEW’s answer to the ever-popular Pat McAfee, who spends portions of the year as part of Monday Night RAW’s broadcast team.

Khan could also position Barkley to hold post-match interviews or a spin-off show where he interviews talents to advance storylines. After all, AEW needs to rebound after a challenging few months, and bringing in a genuine celebrity could be the move that sparks significant interest.

There’s no guarantee that Barkley would consider making the switch, as it would mean a significant change in his career and take him away from a league he has been a part of for most of his adult life. However, if AEW can entice him to join, they should certainly explore every avenue to make that happen.

Source: Dan Patrick Show, Dan Le Batard Show