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.
1 response on this page
Sydney SweeneyDirectly involved "It’s gamedayyyy [caption on a carousel pairing an image from the Novig ad with ESPN "Body Issue" photos of athletes including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Caroline Wozniacki, Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce]"
Open source (opens in a new tab)Sydney Sweeney fires back at trolls after facing criticism online for provocative sports adDefended or excusedCase context: Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Why this label?
Sweeney’s post implicitly defends the ad by placing it alongside a history of athletes posing nude for ESPN’s Body Issue, arguing by comparison that the campaign should not be treated as exceptional.
This label describes the statement’s response within the context above.
Read context and background
Sydney Sweeney responded to the backlash by posting images from the Novig ad alongside past ESPN "Body Issue" photos of nude and semi-nude athletes.
Role at the time: Actor; strategic partner and equity holder, Novig
Before the statement
Posted to Instagram on September 13, 2026, as the athlete-led backlash was building.
After the statement
Sweeney did not otherwise give a verbal, on-record response addressing the athletes’ specific objections as of this record.
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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.
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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.