Overview
- Novig released a national minute-long ‘Just Sports’ commercial last week that shows Sydney Sweeney nude or minimally clothed while using sports equipment to cover parts of her body.
- Many female athletes and Olympians publicly condemned the ad, posting competition highlights with captions such as “this is what a woman in sports looks like” and calling the campaign a setback for women’s sport.
- Sweeney has defended the creative as a playful idea meant to focus attention on sports, and Novig says she is a strategic partner and equity holder who helped shape the campaign.
- The ad reached tens of millions of views on social platforms within days, prompting concern that the broad exposure could put gambling-related marketing in front of younger audiences despite Novig’s 21+ policy.
- The controversy follows heightened scrutiny of Sweeney after a 2025 ad and comes as Novig positions itself as a sports-only prediction market with reported federal accreditation, raising reputational questions about celebrity-backed gambling promotion.