Sydney Sweeney Teases with New Novig Predictions Ad

Sydney Sweeney and Novig are doubling down with another controversial ad promoting the prediction markets exchange.

The new 30-second ad follows the theme of the headline-grabbing original and features the ‘Euphoria’ actress extolling the virtues of Novig. She appears topless, though not completely nude as she was in the original Novig ad.

The latest Novig ad was shared on the platform’s website, with valuable clicks coming also from Sweeney’s own Instagram feed.

Novig’s Veiled Attack on Rivals

Novig’s “Just Sports” commercial attracted clicks in their millions – and nearly as many media headlines – when it went live last month. The YouTube ad now has over 2.8 million views.

The latest Novig ad, titled ‘No BS’ is shorter, just 30 seconds, and seems to double down on Novig’s focus on sports compared to rivals like Kalshi.

“There are grown men making spreadsheets on what color underwear I’m wearing,” Sweeney says – a thinly-veiled criticism on the shorts of knowable markets Kalshi and Polymarket offer.

However, the mention of “insider trading on dictators dying” is another dig at Kalshi. It’s a reference to the well-documented cases of insider trading at the site.

Those included bets on the death of Iran’s leader or the removal of the Venezuelan president earlier this year. Ex-congressman George Santos was banned from Kalshi for life this year for betting on his attendance at the State of the Union address.

Sweeney ends by saying that rather than bothering itself with those sorts of easily manipulated political markets, Novig is “just sports”.

Novig Has ‘Enormous Respect for Female Athletes’

The original Novig commercial sparked an enormous backlash from female athletes. A nude Sweeney covered in just sports equipment was always going to be controversial.

However, several prominent sportswomen came out to attack the actress over the “objectification” of women in sports.

“IDK what Sydney Sweeney was doing,” said gymnast Gracie Kramer, “but this is what a woman in sports looks like.” Kramer added a photo of her gymnastic exploits on here Instagram feed.

Speaking to AdAge, Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said the prediction exchange was not apologizing. He added that Sweeney was “not an athlete” and “was not claiming to be one.”

However, some fans are obviously predicting more backlash.

“She’s just rage baiting everyone,” said one user on YouTube, with another adding: “To hell with the haters!”

Novig Sees App Downloads Grow

Novig is a relative newcomer to the prediction markets scene. However, its numbers have grown since it launched its “Just Sports” campaign with Sydney Sweeney.

According to new figures, first-time depositors have risen over 361%, with app downloads also seeing a 260% spike.

Novig’s Numbers Post-Sweeney

• Trading Volume Before/After the Ad: +94%
• First-time Depositors: +361.8%
• Active users (month-over-month): +96%
• App downloads: +260.9%

(Stats: CNBC)

Traffic up 94% After NFL Start

Novig also reported over $127 million in volume on its platform during its first week of opening during the summer.

That compared to just $6.6 million for Kalshi during its first week after launch back in 2021.

The start of the NFL season saw traffic surge at a prediction markets exchange that prides itself on its sports-first policy.

It’s the focus on sports that has drawn the ire of some state gaming regulators. Kalshi and Polymarket can carve out their sports contracts in states with sports betting rules. Therefore, those prediction exchanges can continue accepting contracts on politics and the economy while geofencing sports for other states.

It’s not so easy for Novig who have a sports-only policy. Wisconsin ruled against Novig and others in July for offering “sports betting through the back door”. It’s a case that’s set to run and run, whether you’re relying on nude film stars or not.