GTA 6's First TV Ad Hits the NBA: An Alternate Trailer Cut With the Shower Scenes Gone
Grand Theft Auto VI has officially reached the living room. Rockstar's first TV commercial for the game aired on October 20, 2026, during NBA opening night, and Kotaku reports it's a slightly reworked version of the launch trailer that dropped online last week. A couple of the steamier shots didn't make it to broadcast.
If you've already watched the launch trailer breakdown a dozen times, the TV spot won't blow your mind. But it's the clearest sign yet that the marketing machine is in full swing four weeks before release.
Where it aired
According to Rockstar Report, the ad ran during NBC's broadcast of the New York Knicks vs. Philadelphia 76ers game. Viewers shared clips of it on X, ending with the November 19 release date and a pre-order message.
Kotaku adds that people also reported seeing the ad, or a similar version, during the Pistons vs. Celtics and Thunder vs. Spurs games the same night.
What changed in the TV cut
This isn't a new trailer. It's the same launch-trailer footage, re-edited for television. Based on fan comparisons cited by Kotaku and Rockstar Report:
- Removed: the shower kiss between Jason and Lucia, the other shower moments, and a brief look at Lucia's ankle monitor.
- Longer: the shot of Lucia jumping from a truck onto a plane's landing gear, and a Jason and Lucia moment after he playfully punches her arm.
- Also longer, per a RockstarINTEL comparison reported by Rockstar Report: Raul Bautista dancing, a struggle where Jason reaches for a knife while in a chokehold, and a quick shot of Real Dimez member Roxy dancing.
- No Xbox logo at the end, which fan accounts link to Rockstar's marketing deal with PlayStation.
Kotaku sums it up neatly: guns, explosions and robberies are fine for network TV, a few frames in a shower apparently aren't.
Rockstar Report notes that the official launch-trailer page still hosts the original online version, so nothing has been censored there.
Why it matters
A TV spot during a major live sports broadcast is old-school, mass-market advertising, and it shows Rockstar aiming well beyond the people who already follow every trailer frame. Kotaku quotes fans saying that seeing the date on their living room TV made the launch finally "feel real."
The NBA tie-in isn't over, either. The Miami HEAT will play as "Vice City" against the Milwaukee Bucks on November 18, the night before launch, with a special court and a one-night-only uniform. GameSpot notes the game will also air on ESPN. Kotaku expects the TV ad to show up around that game too, though that's its guess, not a Rockstar announcement.
What's next
- November 18: "A Night in Vice City" at Kaseya Center, HEAT vs. Bucks, 7:00 PM ET.
- November 19: GTA 6 launches on PlayStation 5 and Xbox Series X|S.
- Still hungry for details? Read how GTA 6's NPC interaction system grew out of Red Dead 2, and check the preload date so you're ready on day one.
Expect more TV spots as launch gets closer. We'll flag anything that's actually new footage.
