Overview
- Novig released the minute‑long “Just Sports” commercial last week that shows Sweeney largely unclothed while covering herself with sports equipment to promote the company’s sports‑only prediction product.
- Top current and former female athletes reacted strongly on social media and in interviews, with Olympian Ariarne Titmus calling the ad “infuriating” and BBC‑quoted sprinter Amy Hunt contrasting the spot with images of muscle, sweat and training.
- Sweeney and Novig have defended the campaign, saying she helped originate the idea, that the concept was meant to be playful, and that Novig restricts its product to users 21 and older.
- The ad went viral within days, drawing millions of views and boosting Novig’s profile while also intensifying reputational scrutiny over sexualized marketing tied to a gambling‑adjacent brand.
- Coverage places the backlash in context by noting Sweeney’s prior 2025 advertising controversies and the long history of nude athlete features like ESPN’s Body Issue, and critics warn the spot could undermine efforts to value women’s athletic achievement and protect young athletes’ body image.