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Disputes concerning how women athletes and women’s sport are portrayed, marketed, or discussed publicly.
Counts show individual statements. They do not assign an overall position.
2 statements on this page. Dates: September 15, 2026
2 matching statements. Dates: September 15, 2026
2 published statements. Dates: September 15, 2026
Role at the time: Co-founder and CEO, Novig
Statement summary
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said Sydney Sweeney "was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging" in the ad, shifting creative responsibility for its content toward her.
“It really was Sydney who was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging.”
Front Office Sports report on Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky's September 15, 2026 remarks at the "Asset Class" event, attributing the ad's visuals and messaging to Sweeney.
Fortinsky shifts creative responsibility for the ad's content onto Sweeney rather than defending or condemning the ad's substance outright -- a distinct claim from his earlier 'never intended to portray female sports' statement, reframing the dispute over who is responsible without resolving whether the ad itself was appropriate.
Role at the time: Co-founder and CEO, Novig
Statement summary
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky said the campaign never intended to portray women’s sport and that Sweeney drove its creative direction.
“We never intended to portray female sports. Sydney’s an actress, the biggest movie star in the world. We’re a prediction market that is focused on sports, and that is the story that she was communicating... It really was Sydney who was driving the visuals and the messaging.”
Report on Jacob Fortinsky’s Front Office Sports interview defending the ad after the backlash, syndicated from USA Today’s For The Win.
Fortinsky defends the campaign as never having intended to portray women’s sport and frames the backlash as expected and not a fair reading of the ad’s purpose — an express defense of the conduct under scrutiny.
