Athletes criticize Sydney Sweeney over nude Novig sports betting campaign

The Novig campaign and its creative direction

On 9 September 2026, sports prediction and betting application Novig launched an advertising campaign titled Just Sports starring American actor Sydney Sweeney. In the promotional video, the 29-year-old Euphoria and Anyone But You star appears nude or in minimal clothing while interacting with athletic equipment, including basketballs, footballs, baseball bats, and hockey nets. Novig founder and chief executive officer Jacob Fortinsky stated to Front Office Sports that Sweeney approached the startup independently to seek an equity partnership. In a separate interview with Complex, Sweeney stated that she participated in creative discussions from the beginning of the project.

Olympic athletes challenge the sexualization of sport

The release prompted criticism across social media from elite female competitors who argued the advertisement reduces female athletics to physical appearance. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medallist, condemned the marketing approach on Instagram as disrespectful to women in professional athletics.

How can we live in a world where monetizing the female body and sexualizing women's sports is still a common practice?

Other international athletes echoed these concerns. British Olympic runner Hannah Williams described the promotion as damaging for women working to gain respect in sports, while Australian world boxing champion Skye Nicolson pointed out the distinction between looking athletic during competition and using nudity to market sports. Former Polish tennis player Zuzanna Dziewiecka expressed disappointment on Instagram, stating that female athletes have spent years fighting to be recognized for athletic ability rather than their bodies. Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns, sprinter Bree Rizzo, and Olympic weightlifting coach Danielle Bagacay also posted statements rejecting the campaign.

Social media responses and athletic montages

In response to the video, female athletes across several sports organized an online counter-movement using the phrase to demonstrate their physical routines and accomplishments. American gymnast Gracie Kramer initiated the response by publishing a montage of herself training in the gymnasium alongside the phrase describing what women in sport actually look like. Australian Olympic swimmer Lani Pallister and British sprinter Amy Hunt joined the effort by sharing clips of their training regimes, competitive races, and medal presentations.

Hunt addressed Sweeney directly after competing at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest on 13 September 2026, where she finished fourth in the 200 metres final with a season's best time of 22.10 seconds behind Melissa Jefferson-Wooden's winning time of 21.47 seconds.

Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like.

Sweeney defends campaign as parodies emerge

On 13 September 2026, Sweeney responded to critics by sharing archival images on Instagram Stories showing professional athletes who previously posed nude for publications during their careers. Her posts featured female athletes including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki, alongside male sports figures such as Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce. The controversy follows previous public debate surrounding Sweeney's American Eagle denim campaign and her lingerie collection.

Satirical reactions also circulated on social platforms, including a video posted on Sunday by comedian Chloe Fineman, who left Saturday Night Live in July 2026. Wearing prosthetic chest props taken from the television studio, Fineman spoofed Sweeney's repetitive dialogue and the visual staging of sports equipment.

Many people think this ad is about sports, but it's actually about tits.