Aaron Judge Commercial: NBC’s Decision to Feature Yankees Slugger

Aaron Judge recently suited up in his iconic pinstripes at Yankee Stadium, but it wasn’t for the upcoming baseball season. Instead, he was filming a TV commercial showcasing the return of MLB to NBC. After nearly two decades, NBC is back in the baseball game with an Opening Day doubleheader and the iconic “Sunday Night Baseball” package.

NBC selected Aaron Judge to star in a 30-second ad that made its debut during the Super Bowl pregame show and continues to air during the Winter Olympics coverage. The commercial features Judge at Yankee Stadium with baseballs soaring from the Bronx to Rockefeller Center, causing chaos in the studios of popular NBC shows like the “Today Show,” “Law & Order: SVU,” “Saturday Night Live,” and “Late Night With Seth Meyers.”

In a playful homage, Seth Meyers channels Captain James T. Kirk by exclaiming “Judge!” after retrieving a rogue baseball. The ad wraps up with Judge swinging his bat, bidding farewell with a grin, and endearingly acknowledging the havoc he caused. Fans can catch the Yankees in action on “Sunday Night Baseball” on NBC and Peacock starting June 28 against Boston, with exciting matchups against the Dodgers and Phillies scheduled for July.

Lyndsay Signor, senior vice president of sports marketing at NBCUniversal, revealed that Aaron Judge was the perfect choice for the ad due to the network’s ties to New York City and their iconic home base at 30 Rock. With Judge as one of baseball’s biggest stars and hitting balls from Yankee Stadium to 30 Rock, the collaboration felt natural.

Joining Judge in the ad are familiar faces from NBC’s lineup, including the hosts of the “Today Show,” “Law & Order: SVU” star Kelli Giddish, “SNL” cast member Kenan Thompson, and even a person dressed as the iconic NBC peacock. Interestingly, the peacock is the only one who takes a hit from a Judge home run ball, adding a humorous touch to the commercial.