Sydney Sweeney’s provocative Novig sports ad has sparked backlash from female athletes who say it sexualizes women and diminishes their achievements.
A provocative new Sydney Sweeney sports advertisement has ignited a heated backlash from female athletes, including Olympic stars who argue the campaign sexualizes women in sports and distracts from their achievements.
The ad was created for Novig, a sports prediction platform, and features Sweeney appearing in minimal clothing while playfully posing with equipment from sports including tennis, basketball, baseball and hockey. The campaign has quickly gone viral, generating millions of views and a wave of criticism from athletes.
Female athletes criticize Sydney Sweeney ad
Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus was among the most outspoken critics of the campaign.
Titmus argued that the advertisement diminishes the years of dedication required from female athletes and questioned why women’s bodies continue to be used to attract attention in sports marketing.
Other athletes, including British sprinter Amy Hunt, Australian swimmer Lani Pallister, water polo player Tilly Kearns and boxer Skye Nicolson, also criticized the campaign or used social media to highlight their own athletic accomplishments.
The criticism has centered on the distinction between celebrating women’s confidence and using sexualized imagery to market sports.
Ad sparks debate over women in sports
The campaign has become part of a broader debate about how women are represented in sports.
Female athletes have spent years pushing for greater recognition based on performance, skill and achievement. Critics of the Sweeney advertisement say the campaign sends the opposite message by making the actress’s appearance the central focus.
American gymnast Gracie Kramer helped spark a social-media response by posting athletic footage with the message that this is what a woman in sport looks like. Other athletes soon followed with videos showcasing their training, competition and accomplishments.
The Australian Institute of Sport also joined the conversation with a post highlighting women competing and working across different areas of sport.
Sydney Sweeney appears to respond
Sweeney has not issued a lengthy public response to the criticism, but she appeared to address the controversy on social media.
The actress shared images of famous athletes who have previously posed nude or semi-nude for magazines, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Caroline Wozniacki.
The posts appeared to push back against the idea that women cannot combine athleticism, confidence and sexuality.
Sweeney also shared a playful sports-themed post while tagging Novig, the company behind the campaign.
Novig defends the campaign
Novig has defended the concept, describing it as a playful attempt to cut through the noise surrounding sports advertising.
The company said the campaign was intended to focus attention on sports while using humor and confidence to deliver its message. Sweeney is more than a spokesperson for the platform; she has also joined Novig as a strategic partner and equity holder.
That relationship has added another layer to the controversy because Sweeney has a direct business interest in the campaign’s success.
Despite the criticism, the advertisement has generated enormous attention for a relatively new sports prediction company.
Viral controversy puts Novig in spotlight
The backlash has arguably accomplished one thing the advertisement was designed to do: get people talking about Novig.
The campaign has been viewed tens of millions of times across social media, while the controversy has generated widespread coverage from sports, entertainment and mainstream news outlets.
Advertising analysts have noted that controversy can produce significant brand awareness, even when reactions are sharply divided.
The campaign also echoes the response to Sweeney’s controversial American Eagle advertising campaign in 2025, which similarly generated intense online debate and enormous attention for the brand.
Athletes say the focus should be performance
For the athletes criticizing Sweeney’s latest campaign, the central issue is not whether women can embrace their appearance or sexuality.
Instead, they argue that sports marketing should not reduce female athletes to their bodies, particularly at a time when women’s sports are gaining unprecedented attention.
Nicolson, for example, emphasized that there is a difference between an athlete looking attractive while competing and using sexuality as the primary tool to sell sports.
That distinction has become a key part of the online debate.
Sydney Sweeney controversy continues
The Sydney Sweeney sports ad has now become a major talking point far beyond the original Novig campaign.
Supporters see the advertisement as provocative, humorous and deliberately attention-grabbing, while critics argue that it reinforces the very stereotypes female athletes have spent years challenging.
With athletes continuing to respond and Sweeney appearing to defend the campaign through social media, the controversy is unlikely to disappear quickly.
For Novig, however, the campaign has delivered something every emerging brand wants: massive attention. The bigger question is whether that attention ultimately translates into long-term support for the sports prediction platform—or leaves the company remembered primarily for a divisive advertising stunt.
