Overview
- Novig released a minute‑long “Just Sports” spot last Wednesday featuring Sydney Sweeney posing with sports equipment while appearing nude or nearly nude, and the ad was designed to market the company’s sports‑only prediction market to users 21 and older.
- The commercial went viral within days and provoked sharp public criticism from current and former female athletes, including Ariarne Titmus, Amy Hunt and Gracie Kramer, who posted training and competition clips to show what women in sport look like.
- Sweeney, who is described by Novig as a strategic partner and equity holder who took part in creative discussions, responded on social media by posting images from ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue, which intensified debate over precedent and context for nude sports imagery.
- Novig and its founder have defended the campaign as an attention‑getting, sports‑focused idea and there has been no widely reported corporate apology, regulatory action, or major change to the campaign at this time.
- The controversy has broadened the conversation about how celebrity partnerships advertise gambling products, how female athletes are represented in sports marketing, and the risk that provocative ads may reinforce barriers for girls and women who want to be valued for performance rather than appearance.