Sydney Sweeney Sports Ad Backlash: Olympic Athletes Slam Novig Campaign Over Sexualizing Women in Sport

Sydney Sweeney’s latest advertising campaign has triggered a backlash from prominent female athletes, with Olympic competitors accusing the campaign of reducing women in sport to their appearance rather than highlighting athletic achievement.

The controversy centers on a new commercial for sports trading app Novig in which the Euphoria actress appears nude while using sports equipment to cover parts of her body. The campaign was intended as a playful way of putting the focus on sports, according to Sweeney, but several athletes have strongly objected to the message.

Fast Facts

• Campaign: Sydney Sweeney’s new Novig sports trading ad
• Main criticism: Athletes say it sexualizes women in sport
• Ariarne Titmus: Called the campaign deeply infuriating and criticized the commercialization of women’s bodies
• Gracie Kramer: Posted a sports highlight reel that drew more than 1 million likes
• Amy Hunt: Addressed the controversy after running a season’s best 200m
• Sweeney’s response: Said the campaign was designed around fun, confidence and humor

Why are athletes criticizing Sydney Sweeney’s ad?

The backlash began on social media over the weekend, just days after the Novig campaign was released.

British athlete Lucy Davis criticized the commercial directly, arguing that women in sport should not be presented through sexualized imagery.

Australian swimming champion Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, was even more forceful in her response.

Titmus said she was infuriated by the campaign and argued that it was disrespectful to women who spend years training and competing.

Her criticism extended beyond athletes themselves. She said the imagery also overlooked women who participate in or enjoy sport because of its teamwork, friendship, dedication and achievement.

The response quickly became a wider conversation about how female athletes are represented in advertising.

Gracie Kramer’s video goes viral

American gymnast Gracie Kramer joined the criticism by posting a highlight reel showing women competing in sport.

Her message contrasted the athletic footage with the imagery at the center of the Novig controversy.

The post quickly gained more than a million likes, turning it into one of the most visible reactions to the campaign.

Rather than focusing on appearance, the video emphasized competition, physical ability and the work involved in becoming an elite athlete.

Amy Hunt sends a message after her race

British sprinter Amy Hunt also addressed the controversy during a BBC interview immediately after competing in the 200-meter final at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest.

Hunt had just recorded a season’s best and used the moment to explain what she believes women’s sport actually represents.

She pointed to the speed, strength and physical effort behind elite performance, referencing Melissa Jefferson-Wooden’s winning 21.47-second time.

Hunt’s message was that athletic competition is built around training, sacrifice and physical effort rather than the glamorous image sometimes used in advertising.

Her comments quickly became another prominent response to the Sydney Sweeney campaign.

Olympic water polo medalist Tilly Kearns also reacts

Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns, an Olympic silver medalist, was among the athletes who criticized the advertisement.

Kearns expressed her anger over the campaign in a blunt social media post, adding to the growing number of female athletes publicly questioning the concept.

The criticism has come from athletes across different sports rather than from a single discipline, giving the controversy broader visibility.

What did Sydney Sweeney say about the campaign?

Sweeney has defended the concept as a playful advertising campaign rather than an attempt to diminish women in sport.

In a statement published on Novig’s website, she said the idea was about embracing a fun concept and cutting through advertising noise while putting the focus on sports.

The company has presented the campaign as a humorous and confident take on sports culture.

Sweeney also appeared to respond to the criticism on Instagram by sharing covers from ESPN’s Body Issue, a publication known for featuring nude or minimally clothed athletes.

That appeared to underline her argument that nudity and athletic imagery are not inherently incompatible.

The controversy comes after another Sydney Sweeney ad backlash

The Novig campaign is not the first Sydney Sweeney advertisement to generate a major public debate.

In 2025, Sweeney starred in American Eagle’s controversial “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign.

That advertisement drew criticism over its use of language involving genes and inherited traits, with some critics arguing that the campaign evoked eugenics.

The controversy became particularly intense after an advertising video featuring Sweeney was published and later removed.

Sweeney later said she had been surprised by the reaction and described herself as being against hate and divisiveness.

Why the Novig controversy is different

The latest backlash is focused specifically on the representation of women in sport.

The athletes criticizing the campaign are not simply objecting to Sweeney appearing in a provocative advertisement. Their argument is that sports advertising involving women should recognize the work, strength and competitive achievements that define female athletes.

That distinction has helped push the debate beyond Sweeney herself.

The viral responses from athletes have effectively turned the commercial into a discussion about how women’s sports are marketed at a time when female athletics has gained increasing visibility.

What happens next for the Novig campaign?

Novig has not indicated that the campaign will be withdrawn in response to the criticism.

For now, the commercial remains at the center of an online debate involving Sweeney, sports fans and prominent female athletes.

The controversy also highlights the difficult balance advertisers face when using celebrity-driven campaigns: provocative imagery can generate immediate attention, but it can also shift the conversation away from the product and toward the message behind the advertisement.

In this case, the Novig campaign succeeded in getting people talking. The continuing question is whether that attention will ultimately benefit the sports trading app or keep the focus on the criticism from athletes.

FAQs

What is the Sydney Sweeney sports ad controversy?
Sydney Sweeney’s new Novig sports trading advertisement has drawn criticism from female athletes who say its sexualized presentation does not properly represent women in sport.

Who criticized the Sydney Sweeney ad?
Among those reacting publicly were Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus, gymnast Gracie Kramer, sprinter Amy Hunt and Olympic water polo medalist Tilly Kearns.

What did Sydney Sweeney say about the Novig ad?
Sweeney described the campaign as a fun, confident and humorous concept intended to cut through advertising noise and focus attention on sports.

What is Novig?
Novig is a sports trading app featured in the advertising campaign starring Sydney Sweeney.

Why did Gracie Kramer’s response attract attention?
Kramer posted a highlight reel showing women competing in sport, and the video received more than one million likes.