Charles Barkley Once Joked About ESPN Overworking Its Analysts. Now, He's Lamenting A Lack Of Exposure

Long before working for another network was a conceivable thought, Charles Barkley once sat comfortably behind the TNT desk and made fun of ESPN.

It happened on an episode of “Inside the NBA” around 10 years ago. When Kenny Smith asked the Chuckster why ESPN isn’t a desirable place to work, Barkley answered, “They’re not gonna work me like a dog and not pay me. They’ll have me on ESPN 1, 2, 3, ESPN News, and ESPN Radio. They’re gonna have me on ESPN Deportes and say, ‘Muy bien!’ Gracias!”

What a difference a decade makes.

Now, Barkley and his “Inside” compadres are producing their award-winning show for an ESPN broadcast. The thing is, they’re not doing it with the same cadence that Turner Sports used to follow. Just as the 2025–26 season was tipping off, ESPN released the schedule for the airing of “Inside,” which had gone from weekly programming to a sporadic attraction.

Barkley, who has been on air for the better part of three decades, is now taking a stance that puts a different twist on his comedic line of yesteryear. Appearing on a recent episode of the “Dan Le Batard Show,” Sir Charles expressed his displeasure at the lack of airtime that “Inside” had gotten in the first few months of the season.

“When I was talking about working all the time, I’m not going to do all these damn shows. I’m not going to be on ESPN 1, 2, 3, Deportes, Nacho, Echo, whatever they call it,” Barkley said, doubling down on his infamous joke. “I’m not going to be doing all that. But I wish we’d have been on more during the first half of the season.”

In the first year of their ESPN stint, the “Inside” boys (Barkley, Smith, Shaquille O’Neal, and the venerable Ernie Johnson) have staged their program just five times. Their most recent outing dates all the way back to Christmas Day; they’ll hit the airwaves again on January 24, after which they’ll make just 14 more appearances until the end of the regular season.

On the flip side, the NBA has promised fans that “Inside” will grace their TV screens throughout the NBA Playoffs, including the Eastern Conference Finals and the NBA Finals. Whether viewers will feel like they’ve gotten enough “Inside” up to that point is an entirely different question, but as far as Barkley is concerned, the lack of TV time for his crew has been no joke.