Turner Sports to Debut The Arena presented by Tractor Supply as New In-Depth Storytelling Franchise Focused on Stories Around the Game – Monday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT
Cari Champion & Draymond Green Join Charles Barkley & Dwyane Wade to Lead Important Societal Conversations During Week-Long Premiere of New Content Series Developed in Collaboration with Bleacher Report
Leading up to the restart of the 2019-20 NBA season, Turner Sports will debut The Arena presented by Tractor Supply – Monday, July 20, at 8 p.m. ET on TNT – a new in-depth storytelling franchise created to provide a thought-provoking forum for content on topics occurring on and off the court of play. The show’s format intertwines impactful features with conversation from some of the most popular voices in sports.
The cinematic features will examine the COVID-19 pandemic, Black Lives Matter, systemic racial injustices and the changing landscape of society since the NBA postponed play through the point of view of players, NBA teams, their fans and communities.
The Arena’s premiere week, July 20-24, will be a series of one-hour shows (nightly at 8 p.m., except for a 10 p.m. airing on July 22) – airing live from a custom set at WarnerMedia Studios in Atlanta – and focus on multiple cinematic features per episode bookended by thoughtful and poignant conversations from the opinionated panel of host Cari Champion, NBA icon Dwyane Wade, Hall of Famer Charles Barkley and NBA Champion Draymond Green. The five-part series will also include contributions from leading voices in sports and entertainment, such as renowned journalist Jemele Hill, rapper and activist Killer Mike, Academy Award-winning filmmaker, Lesley Chilcott, among others.
The Arena – developed by Turner Sports in collaboration with Bleacher Report – will preview select features on the B/R app, where fans will be encouraged to join in a dialogue about the content. All features will be available on NBA on TNT’s YouTube page following each episode.
The Arena will continue throughout the remainder of the NBA regular season and Playoffs with new episodes centered on current events. Tractor Supply is a proud supporting sponsor of The Arena.
Turner Sports, in its 36th consecutive year of NBA coverage, will tip off the league’s restart with a blockbuster NBA on TNT doubleheader,Thursday, July 30. In the NBA’s first regular season game since March, the New Orleans Pelicans and rookie standout Zion Williamson will take on the Utah Jazz and Donovan Mitchell at 6:30 p.m. ET. Two of the Western Conference’s top teams will follow – the Los Angeles Lakers with LeBron James and Anthony Davis vs. the LA Clippers with Kawhi Leonard and Paul George – at 9 p.m.
TNT will present a total of 18 games, highlighted by Tuesday doubleheaders and Thursday tripleheaders throughout the remainder of the regular season, in addition to a tripleheader on Saturday, Aug. 8 that will mark the end of an eight-game, three-day stretch on the network.