Trump Media Debuts First National TV Ad During Rome College Basketball Event

Trump Media & Technology Group is launching its first 30-second national television commercial during a historic college basketball doubleheader in Rome, featuring men’s and women’s teams from Villanova and Notre Dame.

The matchup, dubbed the Eternal City Tip-Off, takes place at Rome’s Palazzo dello Sport. The men’s game tips off at 9:30 a.m. ET on FOX, followed by the women’s game at noon ET on FS1. The event was inspired by the election of Pope Leo XIV, an American-born pope and Villanova graduate. On Saturday, Pope Leo welcomed players, coaches, and supporters from both universities during a Vatican audience attended by approximately 7,000 people.

Interim CEO Kevin McGurn said the international setting provides an ideal platform to connect domestic and overseas audiences. “We want more voices talking about the things that they care about all around the world,” McGurn said, adding that the company sees a major opportunity to export its social media and content businesses internationally while bringing foreign voices back to domestic viewers.

McGurn noted that the celebratory, faith-aligned nature of the event appeals directly to the company’s existing user base. The initiative aligns with Trump Media’s broader investment in religious and family-friendly programming on Truth Social and its streaming platform, Truth+, which features offerings such as the Catholic History Channel, Catholic Stream, and Catholic Herald. According to McGurn, the faith-based and specifically Catholic community is well represented across the company’s platforms, making international expansion a logical growth avenue.

Truth+ currently offers more than 50 channels encompassing conservative news, faith-based programming, movies, television, and sports. McGurn emphasized that the streaming service maintains a substantial entertainment focus designed to build an entertainment destination that extends beyond politics.

The television commercial milestone comes as the company pursues broader international visibility and creator recruitment. In an October interview with , McGurn outlined ambitions to expand distribution outside the United States and recruit new creators.

Appointed interim CEO in April to succeed former Rep. Devin Nunes, McGurn oversees a company working to broaden its programming and market Truth+. While the firm has previously engaged in sports sponsorships, Sunday’s broadcast marks its first national 30-second television spot. “This is something that is historic and, you know, we represent conversation that it’s historic every single day,” McGurn said. “So this is a good spot for us.”