The sports schedule will not consist only of simulcasts of NHL, MLB and NBA matchups that typically turn up on the company’s flagship TBS and TNT cable networks. Warner intends to air new “alterna-casts” that target different audiences; a new live half-hour “TNT Sports Update” each evening at 6 p.m.; and a new weekly program based on the social-media driven clip showcase “House of Highlights.”
The new block is expected to launch on March 11, the week prior to the start of the NCAA March Madness basketball championship, which Warner Bros. Discovery airs in conjunction with Paramount Global’s CBS. TruTV typically airs many games in the tournament. “Impractical Jokers,” a TruTV stalwart that enjoys a devoted fan base, will debut fresh episodes on TBS starting this summer. The series will continue to simulcast on both TruTV and TBS through early April.
Other new programs include “The Line,” a nightly look at betting across multiple sports genres, which will air live at 6:30 p.m., and “Handles,” billed as interactive show that sifts though the top conversations on social media surrounding the night’s NBA games, slated to air in late-night. Sports movies and documentaries will air in the new programming block, including “The Inside Story,” a look at TNT’s “Inside The NBA” program, slated to start March 15 at 9 p.m. Vodcasts from Ernie Johnson, Charles Barkley and Shaquille O’Neal will also appear, as will a slate of MotoGP races.
