Sydney Sweeney’s Novig Sports Ad Sparks Fierce Backlash From Athletes and Fans

Sydney Sweeney is facing another major advertising controversy, but this time the backlash is coming from sports fans and Olympic athletes who say her new nude Novig campaign sexualizes women in sport rather than celebrating athletic achievement.

The Euphoria star has partnered with sports prediction market Novig as the face of its new campaign ahead of football season. Sweeney has also joined the company as a strategic partner and equity holder, making her involvement more than a traditional celebrity endorsement.

The campaign was designed around Novig’s “Just Sports” message, but its provocative imagery has quickly overshadowed the product itself.

Sydney Sweeney’s Novig Ad Triggers Online Fury

The advertisement features Sydney Sweeney nude in a series of provocative scenes in which sports balls, uniforms and equipment are positioned over her largely exposed body as she promotes Novig.

The campaign has prompted a wave of criticism across social media, including from women working in the sports industry.

One sports professional argued that the advertisement reinforces precisely the stereotypes women in sports have spent years trying to overcome. Others questioned why a sports campaign needed to rely on sexualized imagery when it could instead highlight athletes, competition and sporting culture.

Some parents also objected to the advertisement appearing in environments where children could see it, while others criticized what they viewed as inconsistent standards surrounding sexualized content on social media platforms.

The reaction has intensified because Novig describes itself as a 21-and-over prediction market. Critics have questioned whether an age-restricted sports platform should have used such nude and provocative imagery in a mainstream advertising campaign.

Olympic Athletes Join the Backlash

The controversy escalated when prominent athletes began responding directly.

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus condemned the campaign, arguing that it diminishes the dedication, strength and achievement of women who have spent years competing at the highest level.

Other Australian athletes also responded by shifting attention toward what real women in sport look like.

Swimmer Lani Pallister highlighted her training, racing and medals, while sprinter Bree Rizzo shared footage from her athletic career. Other responses showcased gymnastics, boxing, archery, softball and sports science.

World champion boxer Skye Nicolson drew a distinction between an athlete embracing her femininity and an advertiser using sexuality as a tool to sell sports-related products.

Her criticism captured the central argument surrounding the campaign: critics say the issue is not whether female athletes can be attractive or feminine, but whether women’s bodies should again become the primary marketing device in sports.

Sweeney Defends the Concept

Sydney Sweeney has described the nude campaign as a deliberately playful idea rather than an attempt to make a political or social statement.

In a statement associated with the campaign, she said the concept was about cutting through the noise and focusing on sports, using confidence, humor and a playful edge.

Novig has similarly positioned the campaign around its “Just Sports” identity. The company says its platform combines elements of financial exchanges with sports prediction markets and maintains a 21-plus age requirement.

Sydney Sweeney also emphasized that Novig would not allow users to trade on wars, deaths, or politics, instead focusing on sports outcomes.

Ironically, that message has been overwhelmed by the controversy surrounding the advertisement itself.

Another Sweeney Ad Controversy

The Novig backlash arrives just over a year after Sydney Sweeney became the center of another advertising storm involving American Eagle.

Her 2025 “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign sparked intense online debate over its use of the words “genes” and “jeans,” with critics accusing the campaign of invoking eugenics-related ideas. American Eagle rejected that interpretation and maintained that the campaign was about Sweeney and her jeans.

Sweeney later said she was surprised by the reaction and stressed that she did not want to become a political figure, explaining that she entered acting to tell stories rather than participate in political debates.

Now, her latest campaign has opened another cultural conversation, this time about women, sexuality and representation in sports advertising.

With athletes continuing to respond and social media debate intensifying, the Novig campaign may have achieved one thing extremely effectively: getting people talking. The question is whether the conversation will ultimately benefit Novig’s sports platform or leave the brand explaining why its “Just Sports” campaign became anything but just sports.