From fusilli Jerry to disco demolition, pro sports teams are willing to try any promotional gimmick that can put a few more butts in the seats. On March 1, the Chicago Bulls held an event that was unprecedented in the NBA. Simply put, it was Jesser Night at the United Center, and the biggest basketball creator on social media did not disappoint.
Jesser’s silly video ideas and smart, analytical strategies have helped him accrue millions of new subscribers per month while also pushing his lifetime viewership above 10 billion on his main YouTube channel. Fresh off his appearance at the 2026 NBA All-Star Weekend, he traveled to Chicago to put on a full slate of events before, during, and after the Bulls’ game against the Milwaukee Bucks.
The Jesser x Bulls Kid Nation Game, as the promotion was officially called, began with a basketball clinic for 50 local kids. Jesser then provided more entertainment with on-court and sideline segments, including a shooting contest. Scoreboard integrations and additional signage projected the Jesser brand throughout the United Center. Then, after the game ended in a blowout Bulls victory, Jesser and the NBA began posting clips from the event on social media.
Creators have become hot commodities in the sports world, with many leagues and franchises seeing those digital voices as conduits to the next generation of fans. Though Jesser is a Los Angeles native, the Bulls couldn’t resist the opportunity to bring him out to the Second City.
“Working with creators like Jesser allows us to build connections with a new generation of fans,” said Bulls VP of Content Marketing Luka Dukich in a statement. “The best creator partnerships work when the fit is genuine, and this one feels really organic. Jesser has built real credibility with the online basketball community and is playing a critical role in growing the game of basketball worldwide. We’re excited to partner with him and the Bucketsquad team to create content and experiences that speak directly to young fans.”
Though this form of promotion is novel in the NBA, the Bulls aren’t the first sports team to launch a creator-themed promotion. In 2024, the Los Angeles Dodgers teamed up with VTuber agency hololive for a unique event that included Gawr Gura‘s rendition of “Take Me Out To The Ballgame.”
Hololive Night showed both the advantages and disadvantages of creator-themed promotions. VTuber fans lined up around the block to get in, but some longtime Dodger fans may be been confused by the talking shark girl who showed up during the seventh-inning stretch.
That level of dissonance is par for the course. Creators are ubiquitous in some circles and anonymous in others, and leagues must strike the right balance as they work with social media celebrities. In that sense, Jesser is the perfect creator to get his own “night.” He’s affable, inoffensive, and beloved by many — and for the Bulls, he might just be good luck.
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