List of Athletes to Condemn Sydney Sweeney Over Novig Ad
Sydney Sweeney's new advertising campaign for sports prediction platform Novig has sparked criticism from a number of high-profile female athletes.
Critics argue the ad sexualizes women in sports and undermines efforts to have female athletes recognized for their achievements rather than their appearance.
Athletes including swimmer Ariarne Titmus, sprinter Amy Hunt, gymnast Gracie Kramer, water poloist Matilda "Tilly" Kearns and rugby player Sofie Fella have publicly spoken out against the campaign.
Sweeney, meanwhile, seemingly defended the partnership on social media, highlighting examples of athletes who have previously posed for ESPN's Body Issue.
Michael Lewis, Professor of Marketing at Emory University whose work focuses on sports analytics and sports marketing, explains to Newsweek why the campaign has generated such a strong reaction. "Sweeney’s style is contrary to the dominant cultural narratives. She’s a throwback to the 1990s and the old world of sex sells. When she goes out there, the reaction is like a reflex."
Newsweek is awaiting responses after reaching out to Sweeney's representative and Novig via email for comment on Tuesday.
The Novig campaign features Sweeney appearing with little or no clothing while using sports equipment to cover parts of her body. Throughout the commercial, she emphasizes the company's "just sports" message, distinguishing it from platforms that allow betting on politics or other non-sports topics.
Novig co-founder Jacob Fortinsky said Sweeney is more than a spokesperson and has become a strategic partner and equity holder in the company.
“We’re very excited to have her on the cap table,” he told Front Office Sports following the ad's release. "Sydney is great at captivating audiences and being the center of attention. In some sense, it forces us into the national discourse.”
Sweeney has also said she was involved in creative discussions behind the campaign. In an interview with Complex published earlier this month, the Euphoria actress shared: “Because I've been a part of the creative conversations from the very beginning, I had built an amazing relationship with everyone involved, and I was really excited to get to set.”
Among the most prominent critics is Australian swimming star Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist.
Titmus said she was "infuriated" by the advertisement, arguing that it monetizes women's bodies and sends the wrong message about women's sports. Per ESPN, she described it as a setback for athletes who have dedicated their lives to their craft.
The British sprinter delivered one of the most widely shared responses after competing at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.
Looking directly into a BBC camera, Hunt said: "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like. Muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears." Her remarks quickly circulated across social media as criticism of the campaign grew.
The former U.S. gymnast responded by posting training and competition images online.
Kramer said female athletes have frequently been reduced to their appearance and have had to fight to be taken seriously. "This is so much bigger than a moment or a trend,” she wrote on Instagram. “It’s about inspiring real change in the way women are seen, valued, and represented and reminding the next generation of powerful girls that there is no limit to who they can become.”
Australian water polo player Kearns also joined the criticism.
Kearns shared footage of athletes competing and said she hated the advertisement, arguing that it moved the conversation around women's sports in the wrong direction.
The Chinese-German rugby player criticized the campaign from the perspective of athlete representation.
Fella argued that female athletes can inspire young people because they challenge conventional beauty standards through performance and achievement. She said that was why the advertisement felt disrespectful to women competing in sports.
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Additional criticism has come from hybrid athlete Lucy Davis, Olympic weightlifting coach Danielle Bagacay, boxer Skye Nicolson, swimmer Lani Pallister and members of organizations including the Female Athlete Project and the Australian Institute of Sport. Many have responded by highlighting training footage, competitions and athletic milestones.
Sweeney has not directly addressed individual critics but appeared to respond through social media. Over the weekend, she shared images from ESPN's Body Issue, which featured athletes posing nude or semi-nude in a celebration of different body types.
The controversy arrives during a period of rapid growth for sports betting and prediction-market companies, many of which have leaned on celebrity partnerships to stand out in an increasingly crowded marketplace. High-profile athletes, entertainers and media personalities have become central to marketing campaigns designed to attract attention and build brand recognition. Novig's partnership with Sweeney fits into that broader trend, but its creative approach has generated a different conversation than many sports-focused endorsements.
Lewis tells Newsweek: "This is a market that's been growing rapidly and evolving very quickly, with the prediction markets being the next innovation."
"We are in a moment when firms in this space are competing to become one of the standards," he added. "So a publicity magnate like Sweeney is ideal."
The Novig backlash is not the first time Sweeney has found herself at the center of a heated advertising debate. In 2025, the actress faced criticism over an American Eagle campaign built around the slogan "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," a play on the homophones "jeans" and "genes." Critics argued the marketing message carried uncomfortable implications, while supporters said the campaign was being misinterpreted.
Newsweek’s reporters and editors used Martyn, our AI assistant, to produce this story. Learn more about Martyn here. Contact Newsweek editors on this story: Alfred Joyner and Gray R. Thomas
