Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Sydney Sweeney, an equity holder in sports-prediction platform Novig, starred in a nude ad campaign that female athletes say sexualizes women's sport. Novig's CEO and a Guardian columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Claim in dispute
The Novig "Just Sports" ad campaign sexualizes women’s sport and demeans the work of women who compete in it, rather than showcasing athletic skill.
Case period:
Published by The Dispute Index editorial teamPublished Updated
Overview
Sydney Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder in Novig, a sports prediction market. The campaign followed her 2025 American Eagle "great jeans" campaign, which drew separate, unrelated criticism over eugenics-adjacent wordplay; that earlier controversy is background only and is not part of this case. Novig launch press release (opens in a new tab) describes the campaign’s stated intent and Sweeney’s equity stake.
Claims
Claims separate what was said from what is contested. Follow each source for the original wording and context.
What's disputed
Disputed claim
The Novig "Just Sports" ad campaign sexualizes women’s sport and demeans the work of women who compete in it, rather than showcasing athletic skill.
Response record
Responses
Latest recorded positions: 9. Dates: September 13, 2026 to September 15, 2026
Choose one response filter, or select All responses to see the full record.
5 responses on this page
Molly Carlson "This one hits close to home... because I didn’t think I looked like the athlete I was ‘supposed’ to be. Young girls deserve to grow up seeing female athletes celebrated for their strength, courage, talent and what their bodies are capable of."
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sydney Sweeney’s ‘sexualized’ sports betting ad slammed by Canadian athletesCondemnedCase context: Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Why this label?
Carlson frames the ad against her own history of body-image struggles in sport and argues athletes should be celebrated for capability rather than appearance, a clear denunciation of the ad’s approach.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Molly Carlson said the Novig ad clashed with her own experience of body image in sport and argued athletes deserve to be celebrated for capability, not appearance.
Role at the time: Canadian high diver
Before the statement
Posted to Instagram on or around September 14, 2026.
After the statement
Quoted and described directly by CBC News.
Cassidy Gray "It’s not a joke when your life is actually you being a female athlete, and you being sexualized or not taken seriously and not given the same opportunities, and then you see one of the most famous actresses in the world going and completely wiping away all the work that you have done to be taken seriously... I fear you’re just out of touch, because it really is that deep."
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sydney Sweeney’s ‘sexualized’ sports betting ad slammed by Canadian athletesCondemnedCase context: Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Why this label?
Gray directly calls the ad "idiotic" and "senseless" and rejects the framing of it as a harmless joke, an express denunciation.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Cassidy Gray called the Novig ad "idiotic" and "senseless" in a TikTok video, saying it undermines the work of female athletes.
Role at the time: Canadian alpine skier; 2026 Winter Olympian
Before the statement
Posted in a TikTok video on or around September 14, 2026.
After the statement
Quoted and described directly by CBC News.
Gracie Kramer "When sexualization is used as a way to get men interested in women’s sports, it reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle. This isn’t celebrity drama to me. It’s about the culture we’re creating for the next generation of girls in sports and making sure they grow up believing their talent is enough to deserve attention and respect."
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sydney Sweeney Addresses Sports Ad Controversy on Instagram StoryCondemnedCase context: Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Why this label?
Kramer expressly argues the ad "reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle," a direct denunciation of the campaign’s approach.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Gracie Kramer told NBC News the Novig ad reinforces the sexualization of women’s sports rather than dismantling it.
Role at the time: American gymnast
Before the statement
Posted to Instagram, then expanded on in an NBC News interview.
After the statement
Kramer’s Instagram post is widely credited as helping start the athlete response trend.
Amy Hunt "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like... when you’re a woman in sport, it’s not pretty. It’s not glamorous. It’s not sexy all the time, definitely."
Open source (opens in a new tab)Amy Hunt: Sydney Sweeney betting ad risks being a ‘barrier’ to girls in sportCondemnedCase context: Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Why this label?
Hunt directly contrasts the ad’s portrayal with what she says women in sport actually look like ("muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears"), condemning the ad’s depiction. She separately notes the criticism "isn’t anything personal" toward Sweeney as an individual, which qualifies her personal animus toward Sweeney but does not soften her criticism of the ad’s portrayal itself — flagged for editorial review given that nuance.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Amy Hunt told the BBC after a race that the Novig ad does not reflect what women in sport actually look like.
Role at the time: British sprinter; four-time European champion
Before the statement
Said in a post-race interview after finishing fourth in the 200m final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest on September 13, 2026.
After the statement
Hunt gave a further, more extended interview on Good Morning Britain on September 15, 2026, reiterating the concern in terms of role models for young girls.
Ariarne Titmus "I can’t describe how infuriated I feel when I watch this. Not only is it a kick in the face to every woman who had dedicated her life to perfecting her craft, but every women who enjoys sports for what it really is – teamwork, friendship, dedication, excellent, unity... How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?"
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sydney Sweeney under fire for ‘sexualising women’s sport’ in sports prediction adCondemnedResponding to: The Novig "Just Sports" ad campaign sexualizes women’s sport and demeans the work of women who compete in it, rather than showcasing athletic skill.
Why this label?
Titmus expressly denounces the campaign as sexualizing women’s sport and monetizing a woman’s body, calling it a "kick in the face" to women in sport, with no qualifying condition.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Ariarne Titmus condemned the Novig ad on Instagram as sexualizing women’s sport and monetizing a woman’s body.
Role at the time: Retired Olympic swimmer; four-time Olympic gold medallist
Before the statement
Posted to Instagram Stories as the athlete-led backlash against the ad was building over the weekend of September 13–14, 2026.
After the statement
The quote was independently reported and corroborated by The Guardian and CBC (via ABC News Australia).
Sources
(8)
Original video
Novig is Just Sports (campaign video)
About this source
Novig’s "Just Sports" campaign video featuring Sydney Sweeney, posted to Novig’s YouTube channel on the campaign launch date. The primary material at the center of this dispute.
- Published
- Accessed
Analysis
Are you outraged by Sydney Sweeney – again? More fool you
About this source
Marina Hyde’s signed Guardian opinion column arguing the backlash against Sweeney is disproportionate.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Novig CEO defends Sydney Sweeney ad, knew people who ‘hate her’ would be ‘loud’
About this source
Report on Jacob Fortinsky’s Front Office Sports interview defending the ad after the backlash, syndicated from USA Today’s For The Win.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Sydney Sweeney fires back at trolls after facing criticism online for provocative sports ad
About this source
Fox News report directly quoting the caption ("It’s gamedayyyy") on Sweeney’s Sept. 13 Instagram response to the backlash.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Sydney Sweeney Addresses Sports Ad Controversy on Instagram Story
About this source
TODAY.com report quoting Gracie Kramer’s Instagram post and her NBC News interview, and describing Sweeney’s Sept. 9 Complex interview quote.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Sydney Sweeney’s ‘sexualized’ sports betting ad slammed by Canadian athletes
About this source
CBC News report quoting Cassidy Gray’s TikTok video and Molly Carlson’s Instagram post, plus Jacob Fortinsky’s launch-day quote.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Amy Hunt: Sydney Sweeney betting ad risks being a ‘barrier’ to girls in sport
About this source
ESPN report quoting Amy Hunt’s Good Morning Britain interview about the ad, including her caveat that her criticism is not personal toward Sweeney.
- Published
- Accessed
Reporting
Sydney Sweeney under fire for ‘sexualising women’s sport’ in sports prediction ad
About this source
The Guardian’s report on the athlete-led backlash, directly quoting Ariarne Titmus’s Instagram Story and Skye Nicolson’s Instagram post.
- Published
- Accessed
Corrections
(0)
Corrections address errors in our reporting or labels. When a speaker changes their position, we add a separate statement and link it to the earlier one.
No corrections on this page.