Overview
- The ad, posted this week by Novig, stars Sydney Sweeney in a minute-long commercial in which she appears mostly nude while using sports balls and uniforms to cover herself and names herself a strategic partner and equity holder in the startup.
- Social media users and sports-industry workers have called the spot “disgusting,” “inappropriate,” and regressive for women, with a minor-league promotions manager saying such imagery discourages young women from pursuing sports careers.
- Sweeney defended the creative as playful and focused on sports, and Novig markets itself as a 21+ sports-only prediction market that disallows bets on wars, deaths or politics.
- Critics note that an age restriction does not stop the ad’s broadcast on TV and social platforms, and they said the timing ahead of football season amplifies the brand and reputational risk for a new gambling product.
- Commentators linked the backlash to Sweeney’s 2025 American Eagle controversy and warned that celebrity-led gambling ads heighten debates over content moderation, representation of women in sports, and the commercial risks of provocative marketing.