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Why Women in Sports Are Rejecting Sydney Sweeney’s Novig Campaign
Updated: 5 days ago
Sydney Sweeney has a history of controversial marketing, it wasn’t long ago I was reading opinion pieces and hot take TikToks over the ‘Has Great Jeans’ American Eagle campaign which was riddled with dog whistles and eugenic-coded language. Last night, however, I watched her new ad for the sports betting platform Novig, which features her holding various sports equipment over her naked body. The commercial feels entirely on brand for our current socio-political moment. With addiction rates historically spiking during times of economic and social distress, and a booming sports gambling market capitalising on that vulnerability, the pairing of sex appeal and predatory betting feels bleakly appropriate for 2026.
Working in sports as a woman and constantly fighting for industry credibility makes a campaign like this feel like a gut punch, a glaring reflection of a right-wing cultural climate and a hyper-capitalistic system that relies on women catering to men's sexual desires at everyone else’s expense. Yet, the real surprise wasn't the ad's predictable exploitation, but the response it triggered. Across social platforms, female athletes used it as an effortless counter-example, posting their own content to show what real women in sports actually look like and demanding the baseline respect they have always deserved.
Four-time Olympic Australian gold medalist Ariarne 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,” she added. “How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?”
American gymnast Gracie Kramer sparked a trend by posting brutal training clips and career highlights with the caption "idk what sydney sweeney was doing, but this is what a woman in sport looks like," inspiring a wave of athletes to follow suit. British Olympic silver medallist and European champion Amy Hunt took it straight to the track, immediately after placing fourth at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest, she told the BBC, "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like."
Naturally, the backlash met immediate resistance. Comment sections filled with critics questioning why the internet’s outrage was pointed at Sweeney rather than Novig itself. But Sweeney wasn't merely a hired face cashing a paycheck, she actively pursued Novig as an investor, locked down an equity stake and co-created the ad's concept from the ground up. This, much like everything else in her burgeoning brand, is a deliberate calculation. She shares equal responsibility with the company for a marketing strategy that diminishes women's involvement in sports to male-gaze eye candy.
Another common defense from supporters and Sydney herself, pushed a false equivalency, pointing to ESPN The Magazine’s annual Body Issue featuring nude or mostly nude male and female athletes like Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, Serena Williams, and the 2017 US women’s hockey team. But context matters. ESPN frames its feature as a celebration of "the muscles, skin, features and scars that make them who they are." Australian world champion boxer Skye Nicolson captured the distinction perfectly: "There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to using sex to sell ‘sport.’" “There is nothing wrong with looking good while playing sports, and there is nothing wrong with embracing femininity as a powerhouse athlete, but treating a woman's body as passive objectification for a gambling app is an entirely different game”.
Credit; ESPN Credit; ESPN Credit; ESPN Credit; ESPN
Ultimately, while this episode is undeniably exhausting, it has sparked a masterclass in pushback from female athletes refusing to let their industry be co-opted. I am proud to be a woman in sports and witnessing these women fiercely protect their bodily autonomy is a powerful reminder of why that advocacy matters.
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