Overview
- Novig released the “Just Sports” campaign featuring Sydney Sweeney largely nude and using sports equipment to cover her body, a spot that first appeared on Sept. 9 and quickly went viral.
- Novig and its CEO confirmed Sweeney is a strategic partner and shareholder who helped develop the creative, making her more than a paid spokesperson for the platform.
- High‑profile athletes including Ariarne Titmus, Amy Hunt, Gracie Kramer and others publicly condemned the ad as hyper‑sexualized and posted training and competition footage to reframe how women in sport should be seen.
- Sweeney and Novig defended the creative as focusing “only on sports,” and Sweeney posted images from ESPN’s Body Issue in response; the campaign has amassed tens of millions of views on social platforms.
- Critics say the spot matters beyond a single ad because it ties sexualized imagery to a gambling‑adjacent product, risks harming young women entering sport, and illustrates the reputational tradeoffs brands face when using provocative celebrity marketing.