Female Athletes Slam Sydney Sweeney’s Novig Ad Over Sexualization of Women’s Sports

Novig’s recently revealed advertising campaign featuring actress Sydney Sweeney is drawing sharp criticism from female athletes worldwide, who argue the ads objectify women’s sports.

Last week, Novig, which is one of the fastest-growing companies in the prediction market industry, unveiled new advertising spots with the “Euphoria” star and to say the sultry spots are intended for mature audiences is stating the obvious.

While using sports equipment in lieu of clothing, the actress highlights Novig’s sports-centric prediction market. The purported “sex sells” angle isn’t sitting well with some female athletes.

The backlash reached track and field over the weekend in Budapest, where British sprinter Amy Hunt called out Sweeney by name, shouting, “This is what women’s sport looks like!” Australian Olympic water polo star Tilly Kearns echoed the sentiment online, blasting the commercial in a fiery social media post.

Gymnast Gracie Kramer was among the American athletes piling on, taking to Instagram with comments similar to those of Hunt.

Sweeney Fires Back

The athletes’ criticism of Sweeney’s scantily clad appearance in the Novig ads isn’t falling on deaf ears as the actress took to social media to highlight examples of female athletes appearing on magazine covers in the buff.

Due to their graphic nature, those images are omitted here. However, the photos shared by Sweeney on Instagram include tennis icon Serena Williams posing nude for ESPN The Magazine’s 2009 “Body Issue,” as well as retired WNBA star Sue Bird and former soccer star Megan Rapinoe posing nude for a 2018 edition of the publication.

Additionally, the 2026 Sports Illustrated Swimsuit Issue featured photos of six female athletes, including three that were making return appearances. UFC star Ronda Rousey and tennis champion Naomi Osaka have also graced the cover of that publication.

Novig, which is valued at $500 million in private markets, is staying out of the social media back-and-forth.

It was reported last week that Sweeney approached the company about starring in commercials and that her compensation was paid in the form of equity, meaning she’s now a shareholder of a rapidly growing prediction market operator.

Sweeney No Stranger to Controversial Commercials

Sweeney’s Novig spot isn’t her first commercial deemed controversial by some “judges” in the court of public opinion.

Last year, she starred in a campaign for American Eagle in which her famous line was “I have good jeans.” Some critics took that to mean genes as in genetics, accusing the actress and the company of perpetrating white supremacy.

The controversy generated considerable buzz while stoking a brief uptick in sales of American Eagle’s women’s jeans.

In April, that company and the actress announced a new collaboration aimed at driving sales of women’s jean shorts over the summer months.

Whether the campaign ultimately boosts user acquisition or gets sidelined by public backlash, Sweeney’s high-stakes equity play ensures that both the actress and Novig remain firmly at the center of the media spotlight.