Charles Barkley revealed that he will be staying with TNT Sports for the remainder of his 10-year contract just several weeks after announcing his retirement.

Charles Barkley is sticking with TNT Sports (Image: Getty)

Charles Barkley is staying put at TNT Sports despite previously suggesting otherwise. On Tuesday, the 61-year-old revealed that he’d be sticking with the network through the remainder of his 10-year contract – less than two months after announcing his impending retirement from TV.

During the NBA Finals back in June, Barkley stated that the 2024-25 season would be the last one he covers on TV, regardless of whether or not TNT retained the league’s television rights. According to The Athletic’s Andrew Marchand, he inked a 10-year deal worth $210 million with the division of Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) in 2022.

Since making the retirement declaration, however, it seems as though Barkley has had a change of heart. “I love my TNT Sports family,” he said in a statement. “My #1 priority has been and always will be our people and keeping everyone together for as long as possible.

“We have the most amazing people, and they are the best at what they do. I’m looking forward to continuing to work with them both on the shows we currently have and new ones we develop together in the future.

Charles Barkley previously said he’d be retiring after the 2024-25 NBA season (Image: Getty)

“This is the only place for me. I have to say… I’ve been impressed by the leadership team who is fighting hard and have been aggressive in adding new properties to TNT Sports, which I am very excited about. I appreciate them and all of my colleagues for their continued support, and most importantly our fans. I’m going to give my all as we keep them entertained for years to come.”

Last month, WBD sued the NBA in a New York state court, alleging it didn’t uphold a “matching rights” provision present in their latest contractual agreement. TNT has expressed a desire to match Amazon’s package in the league’s new media rights deal that spans 11 years.

Charles Barkley joined TNT in 2000 (Image: Getty)

Before Barkley pledged his loyalty to TNT, ESPN, NBC and Amazon were all expected to pursue him once the network officially loses its NBA television package.

“Charles is one of the best and most beloved sportscasters in the history of television. I know I speak for all the members of the TNT Sports family when I say we are incredibly thrilled to share this mutual commitment to continue showcasing Charles’ one-of-a-kind talents and entertain fans well into the future,” TNT Sports chairman and CEO Luis Silberwasser said in a statement.

“We continue to add to the breadth and depth of our sports portfolio – including new properties in the College Football Playoffs, Roland-Garros, NASCAR, BIG EAST college basketball, Mountain West football, among others – and it’s fantastic to have Charles for this journey as we develop new content ideas and shows for our fans.”

Barkley joined TNT back in 2000 and has played an integral role on the Emmy Award-winning studio show “Inside the NBA”. Back in May, he received his fifth Sports Emmy for Outstanding Studio Analyst.