After Talks With LIV Golf, Charles Barkley Signs New TNT Contract Worth Over $100 Million

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After meeting with LIV Golf about potentially joining its broadcast team, and some murmurs about retiring from TV altogether, Charles Barkley has reportedly signed a massive new contract with TNT.

According to the New York Post, Barkley has agreed to a 10-year deal with TNT that is expected to be well over $100 million and could reach $200 million. His current contract, which still has three years remaining, pays him $10 million per season.

Barkley's current contract with TNT coincides with the network's deal with the NBA, which at the moment will expire after the 2024-25 season. The former NBA star could potentially own rights to go work for another company if the NBA signs with another network, according to the report.

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(Photo by Chris Trotman/LIV Golf via Getty Images)

Charles Barkley Staying In Media A Bit Of A Surprise

The news of Barkley's new contract may come as a shock to anyone paying attention to his situation over the last year or so.

The 59-year-old was on record back in February of this year saying he'd "probably" be retiring after his current contract expired.

“It’s been a great, great thing,” Barkley said. “I love Ernie, Kenny, Shaq and everybody we work with. But I just don’t feel the need to work until the day I die. I don’t, man. I’ll be 61 years old if I finish out my contract.

“And I don’t want to die on TV. I want to die on the golf course or somewhere fishing."

Barkley also entertained the idea of joining the LIV Golf broadcast team during the early stages of the Saudi-backed circuit's inaugural season this year. He met with LIV CEO Greg Norman this summer, but revealed an offer was never officially made.

"They haven’t offered me anything. My number one priority is Turner, and I’m not gonna keep Turner in limbo. So that’s my priority. They’ve given me everything I have,” Barkley said during a LIV Golf pro-am.

Barkley was clearly telling the truth when he stated his number one priority was Turner as he's committed to the network and the NBA for many more years to come.

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Mark covers all sports at OutKick while keeping a close eye on the world of professional golf. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga before earning his master's degree in journalism from the University of Tennessee. He somehow survived living in Knoxville despite ‘Rocky Top’ being his least favorite song ever written. Before joining OutKick, he wrote for various outlets including SB Nation, The Spun, and BroBible. Mark was also a writer for the Chicago Cubs Double-A affiliate in 2016 when the team won the World Series. He's still waiting for his championship ring to arrive. Follow him on Twitter @itismarkharris.