Archive · 14 Sep 2026
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig Sports Ad Draws Backlash Over Sexualisation
Sydney Sweeney appeared in a Novig advertisement for a sports prediction platform.
In the ad, she wears little or no clothing and uses sports equipment to cover parts of her body.
The commercial shows her pretending to represent several different sports.
Many people online said the ad focuses on her body instead of athletic skill.
Several female athletes also criticized it for making women’s sports seem sexual.
They said sports should highlight dedication, teamwork, strength and achievement.
Sweeney did not directly explain or defend the advertisement.
Instead, she shared pictures of athletes who had posed with little clothing in sports-related photoshoots.
Critics said those photoshoots are different because they focus on athletes’ bodies and accomplishments, while Novig’s ad sells a commercial product.
Novig’s “Just Sports” campaign features Sydney Sweeney nude or minimally clothed with sports equipment covering parts of her body.
The advertisement depicts Sweeney posing with equipment linked to basketball, football, pool, hockey, tennis and baseball.
Athletes and social-media users criticized the campaign for objectifying women and sexualizing women’s sports.
Sweeney did not directly address the criticism but shared images of athletes who had posed in similar photoshoots.
The controversy follows backlash over Sweeney’s 2025 American Eagle campaign, which the company said coincided with strong denim sales.
- Who
- Actor Sydney Sweeney, Novig, female athletes and social-media users who criticized the campaign.
- What
- A Novig sports-prediction advertisement featuring Sweeney in minimal or no clothing has prompted criticism over objectification and the sexualization of women’s sports.
- When
- The advertisement and backlash circulated in September 2026; the articles do not give a precise launch date.
- Where
- The commercial and reactions circulated online, including through social media and Sweeney’s Instagram Stories.
- Why
- Critics said the campaign uses a woman’s body to attract attention and sell a sports-related product rather than highlighting athletic ability.
Critics of the Advertisement
Arguments About the Campaign
Portrayal of women in sports
Critics of the Advertisement
Athletes and viewers said the ad objectifies women, makes a mockery of women’s sport and shifts attention from dedication, strength and athletic achievement to Sweeney’s body.
Arguments About the Campaign
The campaign presents sports equipment and sports imagery as its central visual theme, and Sweeney’s Instagram posts appeared to argue that athletes have also participated in minimally clothed sports photoshoots.
Commercial use of sexual imagery
Critics of the Advertisement
Critics said there is a meaningful difference between an athlete appearing attractive while competing and using sexual imagery to sell a sports prediction platform.
Arguments About the Campaign
Some commenters suggested the provocative concept was intended to generate attention and engagement, though the articles reported no direct formal defense from Novig or Sweeney.
Comparison with athlete photoshoots
Critics of the Advertisement
Critics argued that ESPN’s Body Issue and similar athlete photoshoots focus on athleticism, strength and physical achievement, while the Novig images were created to market a commercial product.
Arguments About the Campaign
By sharing photographs of athletes who had posed with minimal clothing, Sweeney appeared to suggest that nudity or partial nudity has also been used in sports-related imagery, although she did not explain the comparison.
- Advertiser
- Novig, a sports prediction-market and sports-trading platform.
- Campaign
- The advertisement is titled “Just Sports” and promotes Novig’s focus on sports predictions.
- Commercial concept
- Sweeney appears nude or minimally clothed while using footballs, basketballs, a basketball net, tennis racquets, uniforms and her hair to cover parts of her body.
- Sports referenced
- Basketball, football, pool, hockey, tennis and baseball.
- Main criticism
- Critics said the campaign objectifies women, reduces women in sport to their bodies and undermines recognition of athletic skill and achievement.
- Athlete criticism
- Ariarne Titmus, Lani Pallister, Tilly Kearns and Skye Nicolson criticized the advertisement.
- Sweeney’s response
- She did not directly address the backlash but shared images of athletes including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird and Megan Rapinoe posing in similar photoshoots.
- Previous controversy
- Sweeney’s 2025 American Eagle campaign also drew criticism, while American Eagle later reported double-digit growth in both men’s and women’s denim categories.
Sources
‘Worst commercial ever’: Sydney Sweeney ad for sports trading app draws backlash over nudity
‘Desperate For Attention’: Actress Sydney Sweeney Faces Backlash Over BOLD Sports Ad As Female Athletes Speak Out
Sydney Sweeney breaks silence amid backlash over ‘mostly naked’ sports betting app advert
