Sydney Sweeney’s Sexually-charged Sports Betting Ad Sparks Outrage from Female Olympians

American actress Sydney Sweeney’s newest commercial for the sports‑betting app Novig has ignited a heated debate after prominent female athletes condemned the spot as a gratuitous sexualisation of sport.

The NSFW advertisement shows Sweeney posing with minimal clothing while surrounded by pieces of sports equipment—footballs, a baseball bat, a hockey stick, a tennis racket—and delivering the tagline, “No betting on wars or deaths, and no politics. Just you and your takes on sports.”

Sweeney, who also serves as a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig, defended the campaign as “a fun idea” that “puts the focus entirely on sports” with “confidence, humour and a playful edge.”

Female athletes, however, reject that framing. Ariarne Titmus, a four‑time Olympic gold‑medalist for Australia, posted on Instagram that the ad is “a kick in the face to every woman who has dedicated her life to perfecting her craft.” She asked how “monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing.”

Boxer Skye Nicolson called the spot a “mockery” of women in sport, drawing a distinction between “looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport” and “using sex to sell ‘sport’.”

Canadian skier Cassidy Gray responded on TikTok, describing the ad as “idiotic” and linking it to broader patterns of female athletes being objectified and denied equal opportunities.

UK athlete Lucy Davis, whose post was liked by several celebrities, echoed the criticism: “It’s 2026. Stop sexualising women in sport.”

British sprinter Amy Hunt used a BBC interview to counter the portrayal. “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said, pointing to “muscles. Hard work, blood, sweat, tears.” She later appeared on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, warning that such imagery could become a “barrier” for young girls considering sport. “It’s about what your body can do, not what it looks like,” Hunt argued, citing statistics that 64 % of young girls quit sport before age 16.

The Female Athlete Project issued a statement accusing Novig and Sweeney’s team of “fit[ting] so much misogyny in 40 seconds.” The group highlighted the historical commodification of women’s bodies in sport and urged a shift toward genuine support.

Social‑media reaction has been split. Some users defended Sweeney, suggesting the ad is merely a betting commercial aimed at male viewers, while others condemned it as “soft‑core porn” that sets feminism back.

In response to the criticism, Sweeney posted several covers from ESPN Magazine’s “The Body Issue” featuring nude athletes such as Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey on her Instagram Story, attempting to contextualise the imagery.

Despite the controversy, the ad continues to circulate, and Sweeney’s follower count has dropped by over 200 000 users who unfollowed her account.

Role play

The debate raises questions about the use of sexualised imagery in sports marketing and its impact on young athletes. Critics argue that reducing sport to a vehicle for titillation undermines the dedication required at elite levels and may discourage participation, especially among girls.

Sweeney and Novig have yet to indicate whether they will modify the campaign. Observers suggest that acknowledging the purely sexual appeal of the spot, rather than claiming a sports‑first focus, might mitigate further backlash.

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