Co-Editor-in-Chief, TV

Charles Barkley is withdrawing his plans to retire. The longtime sports broadcaster and TNT Sports issued a joint press release today reaffirming “his long-term commitment,” with the Hall of Famer “contributing exclusively to TNT Sports for years to come.”

In June, with TNT parent company Warner Bros. Discovery on the verge of losing the NBA rights, Barkley announced that he would retire after the 2024-25 season, which would be the league’s final season on TNT for the foreseeable future unless WBD’s legal challenge against the NBA is successful. He subsequently revealed that he had spoken to the companies that won the bidding for the next cycle of basketball rights, Amazon, NBC and ESPN, about potential jobs.

But today, TNT Sports noted that Barkley is only two years into a 10-year contract with the company — reportedly worth around $210 million — indicating they intend to hold him to it. Barkley, a five-time winner of the Emmy Award for Outstanding Sports Personality — including last year — headlines Inside the NBA , has won 21 Emmys and has been with TNT Sports for 24 years.