SLAM! BAM! JAM! NBC SPORTS UNVEILS COMIC BOOK CAMPAIGN FEATURING ALL 30 NBA TEAMS IN CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN EXPRESS NBA TIP-OFF ON OCT. 20 – NBC Sports
SLAM! BAM! JAM! NBC SPORTS UNVEILS COMIC BOOK CAMPAIGN FEATURING ALL 30 NBA TEAMS IN CELEBRATION OF AMERICAN EXPRESS NBA TIP-OFF ON OCT. 20
Promotional Comic Narrated by NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico Turns the NBA’s Biggest Stars and Storylines into Superhero-Sized Adventures Ahead of the 2026-27 Season
Fan Experiences in Los Angeles and New York City Build Excitement for American Express NBA Tip-Off Tripleheader on NBC and Peacock on Tuesday, Oct. 20
STAMFORD, Conn. – Sept. 30, 2026 – Slam! Bam! Jam! NBC Sports is turning the NBA’s biggest stars into comic book heroes for a comic book campaign and activation for a limited time celebrating the start of the 2026-27 NBA season and NBC Sports’ NBA Tip-Off tripleheader on Tuesday, Oct. 20, on NBC and Peacock. The first-ever American Express NBA Tip-Off tripleheader will feature the Boston Celtics taking on the Detroit Pistons at 3 p.m. ET, followed by the Philadelphia 76ers facing the defending NBA champion New York Knicks at 7 p.m. ET and the Oklahoma City Thunder playing the San Antonio Spurs at 9:30 p.m. ET.
Narrated by NBC Sports’ Mike Tirico, the comic promotes the start of the season by giving the league’s biggest stars the full superhero treatment, transforming the NBA’s can’t-miss players, rivalries, and storylines into a page-turning celebration of the season ahead. The promotional issue opens with a look back at the 2025-26 campaign, including the New York Knicks’ championship run, before previewing the NBC Sports NBA Tip-Off tripleheader with matchup-specific editions for Celtics-Pistons (3 p.m. ET), 76ers-Knicks (7 p.m. ET), and Thunder-Spurs (9:30 p.m. ET). Every NBA team gets its own spotlight, saluting memorable moments from last season and teeing up the excitement for what’s next in 2026-27.
“The start of the NBA season is one of the most exciting moments on the sports calendar, and this campaign gives us a unique way to celebrate it with fans of all 30 teams,” said Lyndsay Signor, Senior Vice President, Sports Marketing, Universal Television Entertainment Group. “NBA stars have a larger-than-life presence that extends well beyond the court, making them the perfect inspiration for this campaign. From the comic itself to the experiences we’re bringing to Los Angeles and New York City, we’re creating opportunities for fans to connect with the league’s biggest stars and storylines while building anticipation for NBA Tip-Off on NBC and Peacock.”
The campaign will make its public debut at ComplexCon in Los Angeles on Oct. 3-4 with an immersive NBC Sports Tip-Off Comic Newsstand. Inspired by classic city newsstands, the experience will serve as the first opportunity for fans to receive complimentary copies of the comic promoting Tip-Off and the NBA season on NBC and Peacock while celebrating the intersection of basketball, culture, art, and entertainment. Throughout the weekend, the newsstand will function as a gathering place featuring photo opportunities, surprise comic drops, limited-edition giveaways, and meet-and-greets with celebrity guests, including creator and Bucketsquad founder Jesser.
Beginning Oct. 8, branded “newsies” will distribute limited promotional NBA Tip-Off comics at New York City Comic Con featuring a larger-than-life, 10-foot-tall comic-book installation appearing at high-profile Manhattan locations before culminating at Rockefeller Center alongside the Comic Newsstand on NBA Jersey Day Oct. 19 and American Express NBA Tip-Off on Oct. 20.
NBC SPORTS’ NBA PROGRAMMING RECAP
Year 2 of the NBA on NBC and Peacock begins on Tuesday, Oct. 20, with the American Express NBA Tip-Off tripleheader, marking the first time a network has telecast three NBA Tip-Off games on opening day.
The night is highlighted by 2026 NBA Finals MVP Jalen Brunson and the defending NBA champion New York Knicks raising the franchise’s first NBA Championship banner since 1973 before hosting LeBron James, Jaylen Brown, and the Philadelphia 76ers from Madison Square Garden in New York City. Coverage begins with NBA Showtime and the banner-raising ceremony at 6:30 p.m. ET, followed by tip-off at 7 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock.
Knicks-76ers will be bookended by two marquee matchups featuring some of the league’s brightest stars. Earlier in the day, Jayson Tatum and the Boston Celtics face Cade Cunningham and the Detroit Pistons before reigning two-time NBA MVP Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Oklahoma City Thunder take on reigning NBA Defensive Player of the Year Victor Wembanyama and the San Antonio Spurs in a rematch of last season’s thrilling seven-game Western Conference Finals.
Following NBA Tip-Off, NBC Sports’ NBA schedule includes the return of Sunday Night Basketball, beginning Jan. 24 with Stephen Curry and the Golden State Warriors hosting Shai Gilgeous-Alexander and the Thunder; Coast 2 Coast Tuesday, featuring Tuesday night doubleheaders throughout the regular season; Peacock NBA Monday; NBA All-Star Weekend; Martin Luther King Jr. Day Quadrupleheader on Jan. 18, 2027; Inaugural Presidents’ Day Quadrupleheader on Feb. 15, 2027; and coverage of the NBA Playoffs.
For additional information on NBC Sports’ 2026-27 NBA schedule, click here.
NBC Sports connects sports fans to the moments that matter most with premier live events, insightful studio shows, and compelling original programming. As the sports division of NBCUniversal, NBC Sports produces, programs, and promotes premier content across numerous linear and digital platforms, including NBC and Peacock. NBC Sports presents events from many of the world’s most prestigious properties, including the International Olympic Committee, International Paralympic Committee, United States Olympic and Paralympic Committee, the NFL, NBA, WNBA, Major League Baseball, Notre Dame, Big Ten Conference, Big East Conference, Big 12 Conference, PGA TOUR, USGA, PGA of America, The R&A, Churchill Downs, Premier League, and many more. It is renowned for making big events bigger and has produced some of the most-watched sporting events in U.S. media history, including Olympic Games, Super Bowls, and Sunday Night Football, primetime television’s No. 1 show for 15 consecutive years.
