Sydney Sweeney has launched a second advertisement for the sports prediction market Novig, which emphasizes the company’s exclusive focus on sports betting. Released on Sunday, the 30-second video aims to distinguish Novig’s offerings from other platforms that provide a broader range of prediction markets, including political and economic events.
In the ad, shared on Sweeney’s Instagram with the caption “No BS. Just sports” and the hashtag #novigpartner, she humorously refers to the oddities of betting culture. “There are grown men making spreadsheets to bet on what color underwear I’m wearing,” Sweeney says in the spot. She then contrasts that with the more serious implications of other markets: “There’s insider trading on dictators dying and armies of bots manipulating it all. And then, there are people who just trade on sports. Novig is just sports.” As of early Monday, the post had garnered over 600,000 likes and more than 10,000 comments.
Equity Stake Goes Beyond an Endorsement
Sweeney’s involvement with Novig goes beyond merely appearing in advertisements. Jacob Fortinsky, co-founder and CEO of Novig, revealed in September that Sweeney approached the company for an equity partnership and is now a stakeholder. He remarked, “We’re very excited to have her on the cap table,” but did not disclose the specifics of her stake or the compensation for her participation in the campaign.
Fortinsky further noted at a Front Office Sports event in New York that Sweeney played a significant role in shaping the visuals and messages of the campaign. The new advertisement follows Novig’s initial “Just Sports” ad released on September 9, which faced criticism from some female athletes for allegedly sexualizing women in sports. Responding to the backlash, Fortinsky emphasized the company’s support for women’s sports as an essential component of its platform.
Unlike other prediction market platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket, which offer contracts on various topics including politics and world events, Novig markets itself strictly as a sports-only platform. It describes itself as a CFTC-regulated, peer-to-peer sports prediction market with no house edge, contrasting it with state-licensed US sportsbooks that set their own odds.
This advertising campaign comes amid regulatory challenges in the sports betting sector. Recently, Ohio’s casino regulator directed Novig and nine other prediction market operators to stop offering sports contracts in the state, with a compliance deadline set for October 16.
