Sydney Sweeney Mocks Bets on Her Underwear and 'Dictators Dying' in New Novig Ad After Athletes' Backlash

Sydney Sweeney has released another revealing Novig advert, joking about people betting on her underwear and invoking 'dictators dying' to promote the platform's focus on sports.

Shared on Instagram on 11 October, the commercial follows criticism from female athletes over the company's September campaign. The new instalment retains its provocative imagery while directing its message towards the subjects people can wager on.

The distinction matters: the latest advert is a new release, while the athletes' criticism concerns the earlier campaign. Sweeney's involvement also extends beyond appearing on camera. Novig announced her as a strategic partner and equity holder when the partnership launched on 9 September.

Underwear, War and a Sports-Only Pitch

In the approximately 30-second commercial, Sweeney walks through a studio wearing Novig-branded underwear. She jokes that grown men are making spreadsheets to predict the colour of her underwear, adding that she is flattered.

The script then turns to more serious subjects.

'There's insider trading on dictators dying and armies of bots manipulating it all,' she says, before describing someone gambling their retirement savings on a war.

The commercial closes with Sweeney holding two American footballs across her chest and delivering the company's sports-only message. The sequence places celebrity speculation and geopolitical betting alongside Novig's chosen market, using the contrast to explain the brand's focus.

Those lines are advertising claims. The clip does not identify a particular trader, transaction or investigation to substantiate its reference to insider trading. It should not be read as proof that a named competitor has committed wrongdoing.

Why Female Athletes Challenged the Campaign

The original advert prompted objections from athletes who argued that its imagery reinforced the sexualisation of women in sport. British sprinter Amy Hunt was among those who publicly challenged it in September.

Speaking to BBC Sport after a race, Hunt said: 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like.' She highlighted the physical effort behind athletic performance, shifting the focus to competitors' work rather than their appearance.

The criticism extended beyond whether Sweeney could choose to pose nude. It concerned the use of a woman's body to advertise a sports product and what that framing communicated about women's place in sport.

Novig disputed that interpretation. At a Front Office Sports event on 15 September, chief executive Jacob Fortinsky said the campaign was not intended to represent female athletes. He described Sweeney as an actress communicating the company's focus on sports and said the business supported women's sport.

Sweeney Has a Stake in the Message

Fortinsky also said Sweeney helped shape the campaign's visuals and messaging, describing her involvement as both creative and commercial. Her equity position gives her a business interest in the platform she promotes.

In Novig's launch announcement, Sweeney described the campaign as an opportunity to embrace a playful concept. The company also said further creative material would follow throughout the autumn, making additional adverts part of its announced rollout.

The October instalment continues that approach. Its script promotes the boundaries of Novig's betting markets, while its imagery retains the element athletes challenged in September. It offers a new sales pitch without directly addressing their objections about how women are portrayed.