Prediction Market Ad Blitz Gets Backlash
Platforms are trying to capitalize on the start of the NFL season.
As the NFL season kicks off, prediction market platforms are attempting to ride the wave of excitement with bold advertising campaigns. Polymarket, a prominent player in the space, has enlisted A-list athletes and celebrities to promote its "super app" alongside Jake Paul's Betr. The lineup includes LeBron James, Derek Jeter, Eli Manning, and a host of other sports figures.
Jeremy Piven and Adrian Grenier have reunited to recreate their former HBO show Entourage for a Betr commercial, while Sydney Sweeney has gone topless, using basketballs and footballs to cover herself in a raunchy ad for Novig. Despite the positive attention garnered by some of these ads, they have also drawn significant backlash online.
Critics have lambasted the gambling tie-ins and accused the athletes of selling out, questioning why such wealthy and influential figures would promote prediction markets. The Polymarket ad featuring LeBron James has been particularly divisive, with the NBA star's 55 million followers sparking 15.6 million views and 1,200 retweets.
Novig's sports-focused prediction market may have taken the most provocative approach, featuring Sydney Sweeney in a topless commercial adorned with sports-related items. While the ad has raked in 1.1 million views in just seven hours, many online commenters have derided it as "super fucking gross" and a backward step for humanity.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
