Shaquille O'Neal fronts a national Zepbound sleep apnea campaign

Eli Lilly announced on June 10, 2026 that Shaquille O'Neal is fronting a national campaign called "Watch This," in which the NBA Hall of Famer describes living with moderate obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) for years before being diagnosed and prescribed Zepbound (tirzepatide) ^[1]. The campaign is notable for what it does not lead with: weight. Instead, it frames tirzepatide around a breathing disorder.

O'Neal, 54, said he had dismissed daytime fatigue, loud snoring and trouble focusing as normal ^[1][2]. "For a long time, I was tired during the day, not sleeping well at night, and I just thought that's how it was for someone my size," he said in Lilly's release. "When my doctor told me I had moderate obstructive sleep apnea, it clicked – this wasn't just about snoring, it was a real health condition. Being prescribed Zepbound helped make a difference for me in my OSA treatment journey; I even lost some weight" ^[1].

Lilly says moderate-to-severe OSA affects roughly 24 million US adults, many with obesity, and that 85% of cases remain undiagnosed ^[1]. The campaign runs across broadcast, streaming, digital and social platforms, plus in-person community events and appearances, and points people to zepbound.lilly.com and a Lilly page about at-home testing ^[1]. Lilly's consumer chief marketing officer, Lina Polimeni, said the goal is to move people "from thinking they are just tired" to talking with a doctor ^[1]. The release does not say how much the campaign costs, how long it will run, or whether O'Neal is being paid; Everyday Health describes him as "partnering with Zepbound maker Eli Lilly" ^[2].

The trial numbers behind the ads

Zepbound is the first and only prescription medicine approved for moderate-to-severe OSA in adults with obesity, and the label says it should be used with a reduced-calorie diet and increased physical activity ^[1]. The approval rests on two 52-week studies using the 10 mg or 15 mg doses.

In the study of adults not using positive airway pressure (PAP) therapy, average breathing disruptions per hour of sleep — the apnea-hypopnea index, or AHI — fell from 52.9 to 27.6 with Zepbound, compared with 50.1 to 44.8 on placebo ^[1]. In the second study, among adults already on PAP therapy, AHI fell from 46.1 to 16.8 with Zepbound versus 53.1 to 47.6 on placebo ^[1].

Lilly also reports a "remission or mild OSA with no symptoms" measure: 42.2% of Zepbound patients in the first study reached an AHI under 5, or an AHI of 5 to 14 with an Epworth Sleepiness Scale score of 10 or lower, versus 15.9% on placebo. In the PAP study, that figure was 50.2% versus 14.3% ^[1].

The release also carries Zepbound's standard warnings, including a boxed-warning topic — the risk of thyroid C-cell tumors, including thyroid cancer, seen in animal studies — plus severe stomach problems, dehydration that can lead to kidney problems, gallbladder problems and pancreatitis ^[1].

Why it matters for patients

Drug advertising shapes which conversations happen in exam rooms. A campaign built around snoring and daytime sleepiness rather than the number on a scale may reach people who would never respond to a weight-loss ad — and it arrives as a growing list of public figures, including Serena Williams, Charles Barkley and Oprah Winfrey, discuss GLP-1 and dual-agonist medicines openly ^[2].

Some practical limits are worth noting. The OSA indication applies to adults with obesity who have moderate-to-severe disease, and the studied doses were 10 mg and 15 mg ^[1]. Diagnosis still requires a sleep test; Lilly points to at-home testing resources but the release does not detail cost or how insurers handle it ^[1]. The trials also show that many patients did not reach remission, and the PAP-therapy study enrolled people already using a machine rather than replacing it ^[1]. Whether insurance plans will cover Zepbound for an OSA diagnosis, and on what terms, is not addressed beyond a link to Lilly's savings page ^[1].

What happens next

Lilly says "Watch This" will continue across media channels and community events, with O'Neal making in-person appearances ^[1]. No end date, media budget or follow-up diagnostic data has been disclosed.