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On Wednesday, the odds of TNT retaining its NBA coverage looked further away than ever, with the NBA announcing that TNT had failed to match Amazon Prime's portion of the new media rights deal. The deal cements renewed NBA coverage on ESPN, as well as a return to NBC and the addition of games on Amazon.
Charles Barkley, one of the hosts of TNT's popular "Inside the NBA" show, responded to the loss of the NBA on TNT on Friday. In a statement, Barkley said the NBA was prioritizing Amazon over TNT because of money.
"Clearly the NBA has wanted to break up with us from the beginning. I'm not sure TNT ever had a chance," Barkley wrote in the statement. "TNT matched the money, but the league knows Amazon and these tech companies are the only ones willing to pay for the rights when they double in the future. The NBA didn't want to piss them off.
"It's a sad day when owners and commissioners choose money over the fans. It just sucks."
Barkley, who has been an analyst for TNT since 2000, went on to thank everyone at the network. "They are the best people and the most talented and they deserve better," he said.
He also extended his gratitude toward the fans: "I also want to thank the NBA and its fans — the best fans in sports. We're going to give you everything we have next season."
Although TNT's parent company, Warner Brothers, promised to "take appropriate action," it looks likely that TNT will stop broadcasting the league after next season, much to the disappointment of "Inside the NBA" fans. The NBA's current deal runs through next season, meaning TNT will continue showing games through the 2025 playoffs.
Barkley has suggested that his production company could take over the show, but later said in June that he is going to retire after next season.
The finalized version of this media deal is not quite set, with TNT threatening legal action despite Amazon already announcing the deal. TNT has held broadcast rights to the NBA for 35 years and has contract stipulations that make the NBA rejecting a bid more difficult, but it's unclear whether the company will be able to alter the deal.
Daniel Weinman was crowned winner of the 2023 World Series of Poker (WSOP) Main Event on Monday, taking home a record breaking $12.1 million in winnings. Weinman had to outlast the other 10,043 entrants to take home the prize and get his hands on his share of live poker’s largest ever prize pool – a staggering $93,399,900. As well as taking home the prize money, 35-year-old Weinman also got his hands on the WSOP Main Event bracelet. The huge bracelet contains 500 grams of 10-karat yellow gold, as well as 2,352 various precious gemstones.
Daniel Weinman won the World Series of Poker's main event world championship on Monday in Las Vegas, earning $12.1 million along the way. Playing in the tournament for a 16th year, Weinman was tops in a deep pool of 10,043 players vying for $93.39 million. His victory came after just 164 hands at the final table. "I was honestly on the fence about even coming back and playing this tournament," the 35-year-old Atlanta native told reporters afterward. Weinman's final table featured Jan-Peter Jachtmann, who landed in fourth place and took home $3 million, as well as Toby Lewis, who finished seventh and secured $1.42 million. According to the Las Vegas Review-Journal, the main event's entry pool far outpaced the previous record of 8,773 set in 2006. "I've always kind of felt that poker was kind of going in a dying direction, but to see the numbers at the World Series this year has been incredible," Weinman said. "And to win this main event, it doesn't feel real. I mean, [there's] so much luck in a poker tournament. I thought I played very well." Steven Jones finished second, securing $6.5 million. And Adam Walton settled for third and a $4 million prize.
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