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Sydney Sweeney ad for sports prediction platform Novig draws criticism from female athletes
An advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney for the sports prediction platform Novig has drawn criticism from female athletes who say it sexualizes women in sports. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, gymnast Gracie Kramer, boxer Skye Nicolson and rugby player Sofie Fella are among those who voiced objections on social media.
By Tertius News AI Desk13 outlets · 18 publishers · 20 articlesCoverage Published v13
Ad campaign sparks criticism from athletes
An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has drawn criticism from female athletes who say it is sexualizing women in sports. The ad, for the sports prediction market platform Novig, shows Sweeney wearing little or no clothing, with parts of her body covered by strategically placed footballs and other sports apparel.
A framing line is our reading of that outlet's own text — an interpretation, not a quotation and not a fact we assert. Check it against what the outlet published.
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Framing: The headline emphasizes the backlash from athletes, using their word 'infuriating' and asserting that the ad sexualises women in sport. — sympathetic to the athletes' criticism, with a neutral reporting of their quotes but an implicit endorsement of their perspective in the framing.
Facts Included:
An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked widespread backlash from female athletes who say it is sexualising women in sports.
In the ad for the sports prediction market platform Novig, Sweeney appears with little or no clothing, covering parts of her body with strategically placed footballs and other sports apparel.
Titmus also wrote: 'How do we live in a world where monetising a woman's body and sexualizing women's sport is still a thing?'
Hunt said: 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.'
Former US gymnast Gracie Kramer called the ad infuriating and said on Instagram: 'I've spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualised, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.'
Kramer posted stories featuring female athletes training with the caption: 'What a woman in sports looks like.'
Sofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said female athletes can be role models for girls and women because they manage to 'untangle' from society's ideals of beauty and femininity.
Fella said in an Instagram post: 'And that's why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world.'
Novig didn't immediately answer an email seeking comment.
A publicist for Sweeney also didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an apparent reference to the criticism, Sweeney over the weekend posted a series of covers from ESPN The Magazine's Body Issue, an annual special edition that showed athletes posing nude or semi-nude in a celebration of the diversity of bodies.
Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced last year's Christy, a biopic of American professional boxer Christy Martin.
This is not the first time her brand partnerships have sparked debate; her 2025 American Eagle campaign, which played on the homophones 'jeans' and 'genes,' previously triggered widespread online discussion.
Framing: Emphasizes that female athletes are accusing the ad of sexualizing women in sports, attributing agency to the athletes and the sexualizing effect to the ad.
Facts Included:
An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked widespread backlash from female athletes who say it is sexualizing women in sports.
In the ad for the sports prediction market platform Novig, Sweeney appears with little or no clothing, covering parts of her body with strategically placed footballs and other sports apparel.
Many female athletes criticized the ad on social media and called it disrespectful to women.
Titmus wrote: "How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman's body and sexualizing women's sport is still a thing?"
Hunt said: "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears."
Former gymnast Gracie Kramer called the ad infuriating.
Kramer said on Instagram: "I've spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do."
Kramer posted stories featuring female athletes training with the caption: "What a woman in sports looks like."
Sofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said female athletes can be role models for girls and women because they manage to "untangle" from society's ideals of beauty and femininity.
Fella said: "And that's why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world."
Novig didn't immediately answer an email seeking comment.
A publicist for Sweeney also didn't immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an apparent reference to the criticism, Sweeney over the weekend posted a series of covers from ESPN The Magazine's "Body Issue," an annual special edition that showed athletes posing nude or semi-nude in a celebration of the diversity of bodies.
Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced last year's "Christy," a biopic of American professional boxer Christy Martin.
Her 2025 American Eagle campaign, which played on the homophones "jeans" and "genes," previously triggered widespread online discussion.
Framing: Female athletes accuse Sydney Sweeney ad of sexualizing women
Facts Included:
An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked widespread backlash from female athletes who say it is sexualizing women in sports.
In the ad for the sports prediction market platform Novig, Sweeney appears with little or no clothing, covering parts of her body with strategically placed footballs and other sports apparel.
Hunt said, 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like' and 'Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.'
Former gymnast Gracie Kramer called the ad infuriating and said on Instagram: 'I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.'
Sofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said female athletes can be role models for girls and women because they manage to 'untangle' from society’s ideals of beauty and femininity.
Novig didn’t immediately answer an email seeking comment.
A publicist for Sweeney also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sweeney over the weekend posted a series of covers from ESPN The Magazine’s 'Body Issue.'
Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced last year’s 'Christy,' a biopic of American professional boxer Christy Martin.
Her 2025 American Eagle campaign, which played on the homophones 'jeans' and 'genes,' previously triggered widespread online discussion.
Framing: The tone is measured, reporting the backlash and reactions without explicit editorializing.
Facts Included:
An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked widespread backlash from female athletes who say it is sexualizing women in sports.
In the ad for the sports prediction market platform Novig, Sweeney appears with little or no clothing, covering parts of her body with strategically placed footballs and other sports apparel.
Hunt said: 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.'
Former gymnast Gracie Kramer called the ad infuriating and said on Instagram: 'I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.'
Kramer posted stories featuring female athletes training with the caption: 'What a woman in sports looks like.'
Sofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said female athletes can be role models for girls and women because they manage to 'untangle' from society’s ideals of beauty and femininity, adding: 'And that’s why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world.'
Novig didn’t immediately answer an email seeking comment.
A publicist for Sweeney also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an apparent reference to the criticism, Sweeney over the weekend posted a series of covers from ESPN The Magazine’s 'Body Issue,' an annual special edition that showed athletes posing nude or semi-nude in a celebration of the diversity of bodies.
Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced last year’s 'Christy,' a biopic of American professional boxer Christy Martin.
Framing: The headline emphasizes the backlash among Olympians sparked by Sydney Sweeney's sports betting ad. — The article conveys a critical tone toward the ad, reflecting the athletes' anger and concern.
Facts Included:
Sydney Sweeney posed for sports betting company Novig wearing only sports equipment covering her modesty.
The campaign dropped last week.
Gracie Kramer, an American gymnast, posted a highlight reel of her sporting prowess with a caption contrasting Sweeney's ad.
Kramer's post has been liked nearly a million times, including by American diver Kassidy Cook.
Australian sprinter Bree Rizzo wrote about the strength and skill of women in sport.
Skye Nicolson, an Australian World champion boxer, said the backlash was about making a 'mockery' of women in sport.
Sweeney and Novig have been approached for comment.
Sweeney appeared to respond to criticism by posting images of nude sports people, including Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe.
Framing: Focuses on Sophie Cunningham's silence amid backlash against Sydney Sweeney from female athletes
Framing: The headline emphasizes the controversy and the call to action against sexualization, centering the criticism from a Jake Paul-affiliated boxer. — The tone is measured, presenting the criticism and reactions without overt judgment, though it leans toward supporting the critics' perspective.
Facts Included:
Skye Nicolson is described as a 'Jake Paul’s MVP boxer' and 'Australian boxer'.
Nicolson posted a reel with the message: 'Respectfully Sydney Sweeney, this is sports.'
Nicolson wrote: 'Giving the ad campaign exactly what they wanted, but honestly these companies need to do better.' and 'Stop sexualising women in #sport.'
The ad, created for sports trading app Novig, features Sydney Sweeney posing mostly nude with various pieces of sporting equipment.
Nicolson said: 'There’s a big difference between looking sexy because you do sport compared to using sex to sell sport.'
Nicolson is described as a two-weight world champion and 'Aussie' who began her professional career with Matchroom Boxing.
Titmus questioned 'how, in 2026, sexualising and monetising a woman’s body could still be considered a normal way to promote sport' and asked 'What is this teaching the young men and women of today?'
Tilly Kearns, an Olympic water polo player, posted a video with the message: 'I absolutely f—— hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.'
Kearns wrote: 'Like, what are we doing … so much worse than I imagined too. Here’s some real women sports content.'
Sweeney responded by sharing magazine covers featuring athletes posing nude, including Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey.
The article notes the ESPN Magazine BODY Issue comparison, which featured actual athletes, was pushed back on by critics.
The article mentions Sweeney's previous American Eagle jeans campaign backlash for carrying racist undertones.
Actress Sydney Sweeney has received criticism for a sports betting ad for a platform called Novig.
Indiana Fever star Sophie Cunningham has made no comments yet.
The sports betting advert featured Sweeney with different kinds of sporting equipment, like football, baseball, pool, and a soccer ball.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said in her post-race interview with BBC Sport.
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus also had a strong opinion against Sweeney’s ad campaign.
“How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman’s body and sexualizing women’s sport is still a thing?”
Cunningham and Sweeney’s brief encounter last year when they ran into each other at the NASCAR Cup Series event in Phoenix, Arizona, on November 2, 2025.
Following their link-up, Cunningham posted a photo with a caption that instantly broke the internet.
“One of us forgot our t—ts at home,” Sophie wrote in her post on X.
Former US gymnast Gracie Kramer also took offense at the advert, posting her thoughts on Instagram and sharing her own experiences as a female athlete.
“I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do,” Kramer said on her Instagram, while also posting images of female athletes training alongside the caption.
“What a woman in sports looks like.”
Sydney Sweeney did not appear fazed.
She took to Instagram stories to share photos of female sports stars wearing similar outfits on ESPN magazine covers.
Sweeney also posted a video on Instagram to help launch the sports trading app and captioned it “just sports.”
Cunningham’s decision not to comment on the controversy could also be because she is locked in for the WNBA playoffs, which will start at the end of this month, and wants no disturbance while she and the Fever begin their quest to try to clinch the title for the first time since 2012.
Framing: Sydney Sweeney faces backlash from female athletes over a nude advert, highlighting the controversy and questioning 'Is this sport?' — Critical and sarcastic
Facts Included:
Sydney Sweeney featured in a commercial for Novig, the American sports trading app.
The ad shows Sweeney posing with little-to-no clothing and sporting equipment.
Sweeney said: 'The campaign was about embracing a fun idea.'
Australian World champion boxer Skye Nicolson said the ad made a 'mockery' of women in sport.
Canadian skier Cassidy Gray described Sweeney's actions as 'idiotic' and 'senseless' in a video.
UK athlete Lucy Davis wrote: 'I don't know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it's 2026. Stop sexualizing women in sport.'
British sprinter Amy Hunt said on BBC: 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like.'
The Female Athlete Project posted: 'It's incredible they could fit so much misogyny in 40 seconds.'
Sweeney responded by posting covers from ESPN Magazine's The Body Issue featuring Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, and Megan Rapinoe.
More than 200,000 of Sweeney's followers unfollowed her account.
Amy Hunt warned the ad risks becoming a 'barrier' to young girls wanting to take part in sport.
Framing: Backlash from athletes over Sweeney's nude sports betting ad — sympathetic to the athletes' criticism, measured
Facts Included:
The advertisement for prediction market company Novig has been widely criticized for sexualizing women’s sports and trivializing the work female athletes put in.
Ariarne Titmus called the content out in an Instagram story, saying it was "a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft."
Gracie Kramer responded by posting a reel on Instagram showing her training and competing with the caption "idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like."
Kramer’s post sparked a trend among elite female athletes, many of whom used her format to showcase their training regimens.
Amy Hunt addressed Sweeney directly after competing at an athletics showcase, telling BBC Sport, "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like."
In her statement, Hunt continued, "Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears... When you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty. It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy all the time."
Tilly Kearns wrote in a social media post, "I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad," with a reel of her training with the Australian Olympic team.
Sweeney shared several images of athletes who have posed naked on the cover of ESPN’s The Body Issue magazine including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Caroline Wozniacki, and the Philadelphia Eagles’ entire defensive line.
Skye Nicolson said the backlash was a response to content that made a "mockery" of women in sport, The Guardian reported.
Nicolson wrote in an Instagram story, "There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to use sex to sell ‘sport’... There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete."
Sweeney is a "strategic partner and equity holder" in Novig according to a company statement.
Sweeney was the subject of controversy last year when she fronted a campaign for American Eagle with the tag line "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans."
The American Eagle commercial received criticism for language viewers likened to eugenics messaging after Sweeney said "genes are passed down from parents to offspring... My jeans are blue."
President Donald Trump told reporters last year that he approved of the ad, saying, "Oh, she’s a registered Republican, oh, now I love her ad. If Sydney Sweeney is a registered Republican, I think her ad is fantastic."
Months after the commercial was scrubbed from the internet, Sweeney addressed critics in an interview for her GQ cover story, saying she "was honestly surprised by the reaction."
Sweeney said, "I’m against hate and divisiveness."
Framing: Highlights female athletes' strong negative reaction, using the word 'Pummel' and a direct quote containing profanity to convey outrage. — Sympathetic to the athletes' criticisms, presenting their views without counterpoint and with descriptive language like 'scathing statement.'
Facts Included:
Sydney Sweeney's new sports betting ad for Novig features her nearly naked, covering herself with hands, hair and sporting gear.
Female athletes accused the ad of mocking women in sports and making it harder for them to be viewed as equals.
Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig.
Sweeney told Variety her campaign was 'about embracing a fun idea.'
American gymnast Gracie Kramer posted a now-viral Instagram video responding to the ad.
Track sprinter Bree Rizzo wrote about women in sport being more than how they look.
Championship boxer Skye Nicolson mocked Sweeney in a training video and wrote 'Stop sexualising women in #sport.'
Australian Olympic water polo player Tilly Kearns wrote, 'I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney's new sports ad.'
The Female Athlete Project said, 'It's incredible they could fit so much misogyny in 40 seconds.'
Australian field hockey player Jocelyn Bartram wrote about the ad bringing female athletes down.
Sweeney posted screenshots of professional athletes who had posed nude for ESPN's Body Issue, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Megan Rapinoe and Jason Kelce.
Framing: The headline asserts that Sydney Sweeney is not harming women's sport, framing the controversy as overblown or misplaced. — Critical and mocking
Facts Included:
Sydney Sweeney is a 29-year-old star of The White Lotus and The Housemaid, registered Republican, girlfriend of Scooter Braun.
Sweeney fronted an advert for American sports betting company Novig.
Olympic weightlifting coach Danielle Bagacay said: "The sexualisation of women in sport (and in life) is an ongoing issue that most (if not, all) women face… I hope whatever Sydney Sweeney is trying to portray will be overshadowed by other women speaking/posting against the brand campaign."
Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus said she was "infuriated" and criticized the advert as "a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft".
British sprinter Amy Hunt gave an interview at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship saying "This is what women in sport look like… Muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears."
Sweeney is an investor in Novig and defended the advert, calling it "embracing a fun idea" and posting images of female sports stars like Serena Williams and Meg Rapinoe posing naked.
Framing: The backlash against Sydney Sweeney over a betting ad, emphasizing the charge of sexualizing women's sport. — Critical and sympathetic to the athletes' outrage, framing the ad as inappropriate.
Facts Included:
Olympic athletes have come out in force to condemn a sports betting advert featuring actor Sydney Sweeney in various states of undress.
The campaign, for US sports prediction market company Novig, depicts Sweeney in minimal to no clothing while she pretends to play several different sports.
Water polo silver medallist Tilly Kearns wrote “I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad”.
World champion boxer Skye Nicolson said the backlash was about making a “mockery” of women in sport rather than judging how women look.
The actor is not just the face of the campaign, having joined as “strategic partner and equity holder”, according to a Novig statement.
The attention is similar to the outrage caused by American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” campaign in 2025.
That campaign was heavily criticised for appearing to use the language of eugenics.
Sweeney said in a now-deleted video: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Framing: The headline emphasizes the accusation from female athletes that the ad sexualizes women in sport. — The tone is measured, reporting the backlash and reactions without explicit editorializing.
Facts Included:
An advertising campaign featuring American actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked widespread backlash from female athletes who say it is sexualizing women in sports.
In the ad for the sports prediction market platform Novig, Sweeney appears with little or no clothing, covering parts of her body with strategically placed footballs and other sports apparel.
Hunt said: 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.'
Former gymnast Gracie Kramer called the ad infuriating and said on Instagram: 'I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.'
Kramer posted stories featuring female athletes training with the caption: 'What a woman in sports looks like.'
Sofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said female athletes can be role models for girls and women because they manage to 'untangle' from society’s ideals of beauty and femininity, adding: 'And that’s why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world.'
Novig didn’t immediately answer an email seeking comment.
A publicist for Sweeney also didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
In an apparent reference to the criticism, Sweeney over the weekend posted a series of covers from ESPN The Magazine’s 'Body Issue,' an annual special edition that showed athletes posing nude or semi-nude in a celebration of the diversity of bodies.
Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced last year’s 'Christy,' a biopic of American professional boxer Christy Martin.
Framing: The headline emphasizes the backlash from stars over Sydney Sweeney's naked ad, using the word 'Furious' to convey the intensity. — The tone is critical, aligning with the athletes' condemnation of the ad.
Facts Included:
Sweeney, 29, is facing intense backlash over her ad for Novig, a sports prediction market, in which she poses nude—covered only by the likes of basketball hoops and footballs—and pretends to play various games.
American gymnast Gracie Kramer kicked off the trend, posting a viral video of her performances and training.
Kramer wrote in an Instagram video: 'Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sports looks like.'
Multiple athletes followed suit, including track sprinter Bree Rizzo, championship boxer Skye Nicolson, runner Mary McCarthy, track star Amy Hunt, and Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister.
Australian Olympic water polo player Tilly Kearns wrote in a video: 'I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad.'
The Female Athlete Project said: 'It’s incredible they could fit so much misogyny in 40 seconds.'
The Female Athlete Project statement continued: 'Sport has long treated women’s bodies as commodities, and this objectification does nothing to support real women in sports.'
Sweeney did not just star in the ad; she joined Novig as a strategic partner and equity holder.
Sweeney explained that her campaign was 'about embracing a fun idea.'
Sweeney's campaign brought the idea to life 'with confidence, humor and a playful edge.'
Last year, the Euphoria actress sparked widespread debate with her American Eagle ad, which declared 'Sydney Sweeney has great jeans'.
The ad was embraced by MAGA and right-wingers, making Sweeney an unofficial poster child for their views.
Sweeney said in December: 'I don’t support the views some people chose to connect to the campaign.'
Sweeney said: 'Many have assigned motives and labels to me that just aren’t true.'
Framing: Reactions of female athletes to the ad — sympathetic to the athletes
Facts Included:
Sydney Sweeney, a few days ago, broke the internet with her ad for Novig, a sports-trading app.
In a stark naked display, the actress promoted different sports.
But reactions were divisive.
Now, players, especially the women, are calling out Sweeney for trivializing the female athletes.
Lucy Davis, the British athlete, angrily wrote, "I don’t know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it’s 2026. Stop sexualising women in sport."
She continued, "Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, and unity."
"How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?"
Gracie Kramer, the American gymnast, wrote on social media, "Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sports looks like."
Given the outrage from female athletes, the message from Sweeney on the Novig website read, "The campaign was about embracing a fun idea."
"The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humour and a playful edge," the statement said.
Framing: The headline emphasizes backlash against Sydney Sweeney over a sports betting ad, focusing on female athletes' accusations that the campaign sexualizes women in sport, and includes a quote from Titmus questioning the monetization of a woman's body. — Critical and sympathetic to the athletes' perspective, with a tone that is measured yet conveys the athletes' anger.
Facts Included:
The controversy centres on an ad for sports prediction market platform Novig, in which Sweeney appears wearing little or no clothing.
Footballs and other sports equipment are strategically positioned to cover parts of her body.
Four-time Olympic swimming gold medallist Ariarne Titmus was among those to voice her anger over the campaign.
Titmus wrote: 'How do we live in a world where monetizing a woman's body and sexualizing women's sport is still a thing?'
During a post-race interview with the BBC, Hunt directly addressed Sweeney while looking into the camera and said: 'Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like.'
Former US gymnast Gracie Kramer described the advertisement as infuriating.
Kramer said on Instagram: 'I've spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.'
Kramer shared images of female athletes training alongside the caption: 'What a woman in sports looks like.'
Chinese-German rugby player Sofie Fella criticised the campaign, saying female athletes can serve as role models because they are able to 'untangle' themselves from society's expectations.
Fella said in an Instagram post: 'And that's why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world.'
Novig did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, while a publicist for Sweeney also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
Amid the backlash, Sweeney appeared to reference the debate over the weekend by posting a series of covers from ESPN The Magazine's 'Body Issue' on social media.
The annual special edition featured athletes posing nude or semi-nude and presented the images as a celebration of different body types.
Sweeney, a two-time Emmy nominee, starred in and produced last year's 'Christy,' a biopic about American professional boxer Christy Martin.
The latest controversy is not the first time a Sweeney brand campaign has generated significant online debate; her 2025 American Eagle campaign also sparked widespread discussion.
Framing: Highlights Gracie Kramer's criticism of Sydney Sweeney's ad and frames it as sparking a broader debate about women's sports marketing.
Facts Included:
Former UCLA gymnast Gracie Kramer has strongly criticized Sydney Sweeney’s new Novig sports ad, saying it sends the wrong message about women in sports.
Kramer shared a video of herself competing after seeing the campaign, arguing that female athletes should be known for their skill, hard work and achievements rather than their bodies.
The Novig ad features Sydney Sweeney using sports equipment while appearing with very little clothing as she promotes the sports prediction platform.
Novig has described the campaign as a way to keep the focus on sports, but several female athletes have strongly disagreed with that message.
“Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sports looks like,” Kramer wrote.
“This ad is honestly infuriating. I’ve spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do,” Kramer wrote on Instagram.
“So to see women’s sports once again being marketed through the male gaze feels like a massive step backward,” she wrote.
“We should not have to take our clothes off to convince men that women belong in sports, or that we’re only worth watching if we’re showing enough skin.”
In its release, the company said the ad was meant to bring its “Just Sports” message to life with “confidence, humor and a playful edge.”
Sweeney is also a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig, so she is more closely connected to the campaign than a typical celebrity appearing in an advertisement.
“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said after her 200-meter final.
Four-time Olympic gold medalist Ariarne Titmus also criticized the campaign.
She said the ad was upsetting because women’s sports should be about teamwork, dedication and excellence, not the sexualization of women.
Other athletes, including water polo player Tilly Kearns, boxer Skye Nicolson and sprinter Bree Rizzo, have also shared their reactions or joined the trend by highlighting their own sporting achievements.
“I don’t typically speak out on controversial topics, but to me, this isn’t controversial,” Kramer wrote.
“This is about demanding respect for female athletes and protecting the future of women in sports.”
Framing: The headline emphasizes that Sydney Sweeney is facing criticism for the ad’s sexualisation of women’s sport, framing the story primarily through the backlash. — The tone is sympathetic to the athletes' criticism and critical of the ad, but also measured in presenting the backlash.
Facts Included:
Olympic athletes have come out in force to condemn a sports betting advert featuring actor Sydney Sweeney in various states of undress
The campaign, for US sports prediction market company Novig, depicts Sweeney in minimal to no clothing
Titmus wrote: “Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellent, unity …”
Titmus wrote: “How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
The Australian Institute of Sport’s version featured archery, gymnastics, boxing, softball, and a peak behind the scenes at women’s sport science in action
Water polo silver medallist Tilly Kearns wrote, “I absolutely fking hate Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad”
World champion boxer Skye Nicolson said the backlash was about making a “mockery” of women in sport rather than judging how women look
Nicolson wrote: “There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to use sex to sell ‘sport’”
Nicolson wrote: “There is nothing wrong with looking good and doing sport and there’s nothing wrong with embracing your femininity while also being a badass athlete.”
Some social media users suggested anger should be directed at Novig rather than Sweeney
Sweeney joined Novig as “strategic partner and equity holder”, according to a Novig statement
The ad is similar to the outrage caused by American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans” campaign in 2025
That campaign was heavily criticised for appearing to use the language of eugenics
Sweeney said in a now-deleted video: “Genes are passed down from parents to offspring, often determining traits like hair colour, personality, and even eye colour. My jeans are blue.”
Several months after the ad’s release, Sweeney acknowledged her silence on the controversy had only “widened the divide”
Sweeney said: “I was honestly surprised by the reaction. I’m against hate and divisiveness.”
ClaimSkye Nicolson wrote on Instagram that the companies behind the ad need to do better, saying: 'Giving the ad campaign exactly what they wanted, but honestly these companies need to do better.'
ClaimSkye Nicolson wrote in an Instagram caption that there are many different ways to get people's attention rather than sexualising women's sport once again.
ClaimGracie Kramer wrote on Instagram: 'I've spent my entire life competing in a sport where female athletes have been oversexualized, reduced to our bodies, and forced to fight to be taken seriously for what we can actually do.'
ClaimSofie Fella, a Chinese-German rugby player, said in an Instagram post: 'And that's why that Sydney Sweeney ad is so disrespectful to every female athlete in the world.'
ClaimCassidy Gray, a Canadian skier who competed at the 2026 Winter Olympics, responded to Sweeney's ad on TikTok, noting how female athletes face being sexualised, not being taken seriously, and not given the same opportunities as male athletes.
ClaimAriarne Titmus wrote on Instagram: 'Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every woman who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence, unity.'
ClaimSydney Sweeney appeared to respond to criticism by posting on Instagram Stories a series of images of nude sports people, including Serena Williams and Megan Rapinoe.
ClaimNovig did not immediately respond to an email seeking comment, and a publicist for Sweeney also did not immediately respond to a request for comment.
ClaimGracie Kramer said in an interview with NBC News: 'When sexualization is used as a way to get men interested in women's sports, it reinforces the exact narrative we've been trying to dismantle.'
ClaimSofie Fella said female athletes can be role models for girls and women because they manage to 'untangle' from society's ideals of beauty and femininity.
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Transparency & Audit Trail
13 outlets · 18 publishers · 20 articles consulted: 1News, ABC7 Los Angeles, Chicago Tribune, Hartford Courant, Deadline, Essentially Sports, Euronews.com, Global News, Gulte, HuffPost, The i Paper, The Irish Times, Santa Rosa Press Democrat, The Daily Beast, The News International, The Times of India, Washington Examiner, The Guardian — World24 claims extractedVersion 13Written 2026-09-15