After just six months on the air, Charles Barkley and Gayle King’s weekly talk show on CNN has come to an abrupt end. The show, titled ‘King Charles’, featured the basketball Hall-of-Famer and seasoned journalist in a call-in format. Despite its promising start in November, the show struggled to attract viewers and failed to gain momentum.
When ‘King Charles’ was first announced in late 2023, CNN revealed that it would only run for a limited time, indicating that it would conclude by early spring. Airing on Wednesday nights at 10 pm ET, the show faced tough competition from reruns of popular sitcom ‘Friends’ and the animated series ‘South Park’, which overshadowed it in terms of viewership.
Data from Nielsen further underscored the show’s challenges, revealing that ‘King Charles’ had the lowest-rated prime time weeknight series debut on CNN in the past decade. Despite Barkley’s star power and King’s journalistic credentials, the show failed to resonate with audiences, with its viewership plummeting by approximately 20 percent since its premiere.
According to sources cited by the New York Post, Barkley’s busy schedule posed a significant challenge to the show’s production. As an NBA analyst, Barkley was only available for filming on Wednesdays, limiting the show’s ability to adapt and respond to audience feedback.
Despite a promising start with 500,000 viewers for its first episode, ‘King Charles’ struggled to maintain its audience, averaging 459,000 viewers over the course of 14 episodes. In a statement, a CNN spokesperson acknowledged the end of the show’s limited run, praising its contribution to the network’s lineup and its appeal to a young, affluent, and diverse audience.
Barkley, who had previously expressed his admiration for King and his willingness to work with her, reiterated his respect for her in an interview with DailyMail.com. He emphasized that his decision to join the show was driven by his admiration for King rather than a desire for more television exposure.
Despite the setback with ‘King Charles’, Barkley remains a prominent figure in sports broadcasting, having recently signed a lucrative 10-year deal with TNT to continue hosting ‘Inside the NBA’. This decision came after Barkley considered alternative opportunities, including the possibility of joining the Saudi-backed LIV Golf venture.
While the end of ‘King Charles’ marks a disappointment for Barkley and King, it also serves as a reminder of the challenges in creating successful television programming, even with high-profile hosts. As they move forward, both Barkley and King are likely to explore new opportunities that capitalize on their individual strengths and appeal to a broader audience.