Tuesday, September 15, 2026 - Sydney Sweeney is facing mounting criticism from female athletes over a controversial advertising campaign for sports prediction company Novig.
The campaign, released on September 9, features Sweeney in little or no clothing while using sports equipment to cover her body as she promotes betting on “just sports.”
The advert quickly went viral, but athletes argue that its sexualised presentation reduces women’s sport to appearance rather than skill, discipline and achievement.
British sprinter Amy Hunt, Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus and several other high-profile athletes have publicly condemned the campaign.
Hunt used her post-race interview to highlight the reality of women’s sport—muscles, training, pressure and hard work—while Titmus called the campaign an insult to women who dedicate their lives to competition.
Other athletes, including Sophie Capewell, Gracie Kramer and Skye Nicolson, have also urged brands to focus on women’s sporting ability instead of sexualising their bodies.
Sweeney has since responded by sharing images of famous athletes, including Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe, who have previously appeared nude in magazine shoots.
Novig has defended the campaign, arguing that its provocative approach was designed to capture attention, and the controversy has already given the relatively new company enormous visibility.
The bigger question now is whether this viral strategy will create lasting brand growth—or intensify concerns about how women and sports are marketed to the public.
0 Comments