Sydney Sweeney’s sports betting ad draws athlete backlash

Sydney Sweeney is in hot water for yet another advertisement. The actress’s racy new ad for betting company Novig has sparked backlash online, including from women’s sports stars.

The company prides itself on being a prediction market that allows only sports wagers, unlike Kalshi and Polymarket.

Sweeney, who also owns equity in Novig, appeared nearly naked in the campaign while promoting the company. Her wardrobe, meanwhile, consists largely of strategically placed sports equipment, including a hockey stick, a basketball hoop, and several balls.

Throughout the campaign, she kept repeating the phrase, “Just sports.”

The backlash
Female athletes have condemned the ad, arguing it exploits women’s bodies for profit rather than celebrating athletic achievement.

Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus publicly questioned why society continues to hyper-sexualize female athletes.

British sprinter Amy Hunt directly challenged Sweeney, stating that muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, and tears define real women in sports.

American gymnast Gracie Kramer’s Instagram post showed highlights of her competing, with the words, “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like.”

In response to the Novig ad backlash, Sweeney shared past cover photos from ESPN The Magazine’s “Body Issue,” which has several women athletes posing nude or semi-nude.

Not the first
A 2025 American Eagle campaign starring Sweeney had the tagline “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans,” a wordplay on “jeans” and “genes.” It sparked criticism that the ad promoted eugenics.

Meanwhile, public relations consultants note that the Novig campaign controversy has delivered massive reach. The ad went viral, gaining 22.4 million views in just a few days.