Novig reports 362% surge in new depositors after Sydney Sweeney ad campaign
Prediction market app Novig reports new depositors rose 362% following its celebrity marketing campaign backed by actress Sydney Sweeney. The app separately led Kalshi in US Google Trends for three days after the advertisement aired. Novig's equity-for-endorsement deal with Sweeney was designed to undercut Polymarket's reported $15 million annual cash payout to LeBron James. The platform uses event contracts that differ from traditional investments like stocks and bonds.
The 362% depositor spike validates Novig's equity-for-endorsement model in raw acquisition terms. The model was built to compress costs below Polymarket's $15 million annual cash payout to LeBron James. Venture capital backing Novig will now focus on whether those depositors become active traders or churn out.
Rivals including Kalshi and DraftKings are watching closely to decide whether to copy equity deals, match cash burn, or abandon celebrity marketing. Novig's campaign already drew player protests from Alex Call and counter- pressure from Powerade. A retention collapse would turn the equity structure from a cost advantage into a liability. A success would cement equity-for-endorsement as the new template for prediction market growth.