Sydney Sweeney’s Sports Betting Ad Sparks Backlash From Female Athletes, Ariarne Titmus Calls It ‘Infuriating’
Sydney Sweeney is facing widespread criticism over a provocative Novig sports betting advertisement, with Olympic athletes accusing the campaign of sexualising women’s sport and undermining years of progress made by female athletes.
Actress Sydney Sweeney has come under fire from prominent female athletes after appearing in a provocative advertising campaign for sports prediction company Novig.
The campaign, which features Sweeney with little or no clothing while using different sports equipment, has triggered a wave of criticism from athletes who argue that it reduces women’s sport to sexual imagery instead of celebrating athletic ability, dedication and achievement.
Among the strongest responses came from Australian Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus, who described the advertisement as deeply frustrating and questioned why women’s bodies are still being used to market sport.
The controversy has also prompted athletes around the world to post videos and photographs of their training and sporting achievements under messages designed to show what women in sport actually look like.
What Is the Sydney Sweeney Novig Advertisement About?
The advertisement promotes Novig, a sports-focused prediction platform. In the campaign, Sweeney appears while surrounded by or holding sporting equipment associated with tennis, golf, baseball, basketball, football and other sports.
The central idea of the campaign is that Novig is focused on sports rather than prediction markets involving politics, wars or other non-sporting events. However, the way that message was presented has become the main focus of criticism.
The campaign quickly attracted significant attention online, turning what was intended as a promotional campaign into a much broader discussion about advertising, women’s bodies and the representation of female athletes.
Ariarne Titmus Slams the Campaign
Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus was among the most prominent athletes to criticize the advertisement.
Titmus said she was deeply angered by the campaign and argued that it was disrespectful to women who have spent years working to establish themselves in sport.
Her criticism focused not simply on Sweeney’s appearance but on the wider message the advertisement could send about women and athletics.
Titmus questioned why the commercial use of women’s bodies and sexualised imagery remains a marketing strategy in sport, arguing that women’s athletics should instead be associated with qualities such as teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellence and unity.
Her comments resonated with other female athletes who have joined the criticism.
Amy Hunt: “This Is What Women in Sport Look Like”
British sprinter Amy Hunt also criticised the campaign.
Following her fourth-place finish in the 200-metre final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest, Hunt responded to the controversy by pointing toward the reality of competitive sport and the work required to reach the highest level.
Her message was simple: “This is what women in sport look like.”
The remark became part of a wider response from athletes, many of whom began sharing footage of themselves training, competing and celebrating sporting achievements.
The posts shifted attention away from the advertisement and toward the physical effort, discipline and commitment involved in women’s sport.
Female Athletes Turn the Backlash Into a Statement
American gymnast Gracie Kramer was among the athletes who helped start the social-media response.
Kramer shared footage of herself competing alongside a message contrasting the advertisement with the reality of women participating in sport. Her post inspired other athletes to share their own performances and training routines.
Australian athletes including Lani Pallister, Tilly Kearns, Bree Masters, Lauren Ryan and Liz Clay also joined the criticism.
The Australian Institute of Sport participated in the conversation as well, highlighting women across different sporting disciplines and showcasing athletic performance rather than sexualised imagery.
Boxer Skye Nicolson also criticised the campaign while pointing out that the controversy itself was giving Novig substantial attention.
Why Are Athletes Calling the Ad a Problem?
Critics say the issue is not about whether women athletes can be attractive, confident or feminine.
Instead, they argue that the concern is about using sexuality as the primary selling point for a sports-related product while presenting an actress rather than actual athletes as the central representation of women in sport.
Boxer Skye Nicolson made a similar distinction, arguing that there is a difference between an athlete being perceived as attractive while participating in sport and using sexual imagery specifically to sell sport.
That distinction has become central to the debate.
Female athletes have spent years campaigning for greater recognition, media coverage and commercial opportunities based on their performances. Critics fear campaigns like this can reinforce the idea that women’s bodies attract more attention than their sporting achievements.
Sydney Sweeney Has Defended the Campaign
Sweeney has not presented the campaign as an attack on women in sport.
According to reports, she described the concept as being about cutting through advertising noise and focusing attention on sports, with confidence, humour and a playful approach.
She also appeared to respond to the criticism by sharing images from ESPN’s well-known Body issue featuring prominent athletes who have previously posed nude or semi-nude, including Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey.
The comparison has added another layer to the discussion, with supporters arguing that elite athletes have previously chosen to present their bodies in similar ways without that automatically diminishing their achievements.
Critics, however, say the context is different because the Novig campaign uses sexualised imagery specifically to advertise a sports prediction product.
Sweeney Is More Than Just the Face of the Campaign
Another reason the controversy has attracted attention is Sweeney’s relationship with Novig.
She is not simply a celebrity hired to appear in the advertisement. Reports state that Sweeney became a strategic partner and equity holder in the company.
That connection has led some critics to argue that responsibility for the campaign cannot be placed entirely on the advertising company.
At the same time, others believe the primary criticism should be directed toward Novig’s marketing strategy rather than solely toward Sweeney.
The debate has therefore expanded beyond the advertisement itself to questions about celebrity endorsements, corporate responsibility and the choices public figures make when associating themselves with brands.
The Advertisement Has Generated Huge Attention for Novig
From a marketing perspective, the campaign has achieved one thing extremely effectively: people are talking about Novig.
The company was relatively unfamiliar to many consumers before the campaign became a major online controversy. The advertisement has now generated widespread coverage and social-media discussion.
Marketing experts have noted that controversy can dramatically increase brand visibility, even when the reaction is overwhelmingly negative in some communities.
That creates a complicated situation for Novig.
The company has received enormous exposure, but whether that attention translates into long-term customer growth or damages its reputation among women and sports fans remains uncertain.
A Repeat of Sweeney’s Controversial Advertising History?
The Novig controversy comes roughly a year after Sweeney faced another major advertising backlash over her American Eagle campaign.
That 2025 campaign centred on a wordplay between “genes” and “jeans” and sparked accusations that its messaging invoked ideas associated with genetic superiority. Sweeney later said she had been surprised by the reaction and that she opposed hate and divisiveness.
The latest controversy has therefore revived discussion about Sweeney’s role in provocative advertising campaigns.
However, the issues surrounding the two advertisements are different, and the current controversy is specifically centred on the representation and sexualisation of women in sport.
The Bigger Debate: How Should Women Be Represented in Sport?
The backlash has opened a broader conversation about how women’s sport is marketed.
Women’s athletics has gained significant visibility in recent years, with increasing audiences, sponsorships, media coverage and commercial investment.
Female athletes and advocates argue that this progress should be built around performance, skill, strength, personality and achievement, rather than returning to older advertising approaches that rely heavily on sexualisation.
The athletes responding to the Novig campaign have effectively attempted to change the conversation themselves.
Instead of allowing the advertisement to define the image of women in sport, they have highlighted training sessions, competitions, medals, injuries, preparation and the everyday work required to compete at an elite level.
Novig Campaign Sparks a Larger Conversation
The Sydney Sweeney-Novig controversy is unlikely to disappear simply because the advertisement was designed to be provocative.
It has become a debate involving advertising, celebrity influence, sports betting, women’s representation and the growing commercial value of women’s athletics.
For Novig, the campaign has delivered an enormous amount of publicity. For Sweeney, it represents another highly visible advertising controversy. And for female athletes, the reaction has provided an opportunity to make a much larger point about how women in sport should be seen and valued.
At the centre of the debate is a question that goes beyond one advertisement: Should women’s sporting achievements be marketed through their athletic ability—or through their sexuality?
The athletes who have spoken out clearly believe the focus should remain on the former.
For them, women in sport should be recognised for what they do, how hard they work and what they achieve—not simply how they look.