NBA insider Shams Charania is a media free agent, and the first domino fell Monday when Ryan Glasspiegel of the New York Post reported he is leaving Stadium, the Chicago-based digital sports network where he has worked for the past six years.
Glasspiegel reported Charania’s departure from Stadium, saying it is still up in the air whether Charania will remain at The Athletic and FanDuel TV, the two other outlets where he currently contributes.
Charania appeared on daily and weekly shows for Stadium, breaking down the latest NBA news. He also provided scoops in real-time during special broadcasts built around the NBA Draft and NBA free agency. Charania also conducted one-on-one interviews for Stadium with top NBA stars. Charania would even appear before a live camera during these busy times of the basketball calendar on a sponsored stream where fans would simply watch him report on his phone and laptop.
By this point, the relatively anonymous Stadium — which has a subscription service and licensing deals with mostly small distributors — probably needed Charania more than he needed it. Even Charania’s buddy Pat McAfee would often tease Charania about working for the small network when Charania appeared on his ESPN show.
The move signals Charania will not be simply reupping his current deals as the NBA ecosystem shifts over the next 18 months. The league is moving from TNT Sports to Prime Video and NBC/Peacock, meaning two big conglomerates are suddenly in the market for NBA talent.
At the same time, digital outlets (like FanDuel TV, where Charania cohosts Run It Back) continue to spend on content.
While he’s not on par with available hosts like Stephen A. Smith, Skip Bayless, or Colin Cowherd, Charania is a name to watch given his quick rise in the industry and his value in covering a sport for which coverage is evolving significantly.
