Biden campaign to air ad during NBA Finals coverage

President Joe Biden's campaign will air an ad during the pregame show before Thursday night's first game of the NBA Finals, in an attempt to reach young voters who are expected to tune in for coverage of the game.

The minute-long spot, titled "Flag," touts Biden's support for abortion rights and blasts the "extreme movement" seeking to discount election results and threaten America's democracy.

It will air toward the end of "NBA Countdown," directly before the start of the game between the Dallas Mavericks and Boston Celtics. ABC will air both the pregame show and the game itself.

The ad features video clips of the mob that stormed the U.S. Capitol on Jan. 6, 2021, and ends with a call to protect democracy.

"Joe Biden is running for reelection to make certain that the sun will not set on this flag," says a narrator. "The promise of American democracy will not break."

In a statement, Michael Tyler, a Biden campaign spokesman, said, "Not since the Civil War have freedom and democracy been under assault in America as they are today due to the threat that Donald Trump poses to the American people."

Tyler called Trump "a convicted felon," mirroring language that Democrats have begun to use more frequently since Trump was convicted by a New York jury last week in connection to hush-money payments he made to an adult film star before the 2016 election.

On Thursday, the Democratic National Committee unveiled billboards across Phoenix, where Trump is holding an event, calling the former president a convicted felon and claiming he is "unfit to serve."

Trump has repeated claims that the trial was "rigged" with a biased judge and prosecutors. He has said he will continue to fight against the legal battles that have consumed much of his third White House bid.

The campaign hopes the television ad will grab the attention of young voters, whose support Democrats view as paramount for Biden to win reelection in what is expected to be a close race.

Young voters overwhelmingly vote Democratic, but some have expressed discontent over Biden's handling of the Israel-Gaza War.

In a press release, the Biden campaign pointed out the large numbers of young voters who have tuned in to the NBA Finals over the years.

The campaign also noted that overall viewership was high during last year's series in key battleground markets -- including Milwaukee, Atlanta and Phoenix.