Sydney Sweeney Novig Ad Draws Sports Backlash

Actress Sydney Sweeney is facing widespread criticism over Novig’s “Just Sports” campaign, in which she appears nude or minimally dressed while using sporting equipment to cover her body and promote the sports-prediction platform. Female athletes including Olympic champion Ariarne Titmus, British sprinter Amy Hunt, gymnast Gracie Kramer and former F1 Academy champion Abbi Pulling argue that the campaign sexualizes women’s sports and overshadows years of training, achievement and competition. Kramer helped spur a social-media response in which athletes posted footage emphasizing strength, dedication and athletic accomplishments. Sweeney helped develop the campaign and is a Novig strategic partner and equity holder; she defended the concept as playful and focused on sports while sharing images of male and female athletes who have participated in nude or body-focused magazine shoots. The controversy has also raised questions about sports-betting marketing and the use of celebrity sexuality to promote gambling products.