Sydney Sweeney's Provocative Ad Campaign for Sports Trading App Sparks Controversy

Actress Sydney Sweeney has again appeared in a racy promotional video for the sports trading app Novig, this time wearing only underwear and strategically placed footballs. The commercial, which features Sweeney topless with strands of her hair obscuring her chest, critiques other prediction markets while highlighting Novig's focus on sports.

In the ad, Sweeney, 29, humorously notes the existence of individuals making complex predictions about her attire. "There are grown men making spreadsheets to bet on what color underwear I'm wearing. I mean, I'm flattered," she states. She goes on to describe more extreme speculative trading scenarios, such as "insider trading on dictators dying" and people betting their retirement savings on volatile events, contrasting these with Novig's exclusive focus on sports.

The provocative ad opened with Sweeney barefoot on a dimly lit stage in white underwear. The camera focuses on her as she sits and props two footballs against her chest, echoing imagery from her first Novig advertisement released on September 9. That initial campaign featured Sweeney posing nude with various sports equipment.

Sweeney is not merely an endorser for Novig; she holds equity in the company and was involved in the campaign's development, according to Front Office Sports. "The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge," Sweeney said in a statement released at the launch of the first campaign, as reported by Forbes.

The initial ad garnered millions of views and significant criticism for its imagery. While Sweeney has not directly addressed the negative comments, she has alluded to the intense public scrutiny she faces in her career. "I see it, and I just can't allow myself to have a reaction," she told Variety in 2024. "People feel connected and free to be able to speak about me in whatever way they want because they believe that I've signed my life away. It's this weird relationship that people have with me that I have no control or say over."

Novig, founded in 2021 by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, transitioned into a sports-exclusive prediction market platform in August of this year. Sweeney's role in the company and her involvement in the controversial marketing campaign have drawn considerable attention.

Sweeney rose to prominence with her role as Cassie Howard in the HBO drama series "Euphoria," which concluded its run earlier this year. Her portrayal earned her an Emmy nomination and often placed her character at the center of the show's storylines. She has been dating businessman Scooter Braun for over a year, having met at a wedding in Venice in the summer of 2025.