Gracie Kramer: the ad "reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle"
Gracie KramerAmerican gymnast
Gracie Kramer told NBC News the Novig ad reinforces the sexualization of women’s sports rather than dismantling it.
“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.”
Reporting
Where this statement fits
Sydney Sweeney’s Novig "Just Sports" ad draws backlash over sexualizing women’s sport
Novig, a U.S. sports prediction market in which Sydney Sweeney is a strategic partner and equity holder, released a "Just Sports" ad campaign on September 9, 2026, in which Sweeney appears nude or minimally clothed while covering herself with sports equipment. The ad drew public criticism from a number of female athletes, who said it sexualizes women’s sport; Novig’s CEO and at least one columnist publicly disputed that characterization.
Source and context
Reporting
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.
Before the quotation
Posted to Instagram, then expanded on in an NBC News interview.
After the quotation
Kramer’s Instagram post is widely credited as helping start the athlete response trend.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
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.
- Recorded on
- Published here
- People and groups discussed
- Novig, Sydney Sweeney
More from this case
Read the full caseJones and co-authors criticize sexualization and gambling appeals in Novig's ad
“The ad captures two troubling trends: how routinely women’s bodies are sexualized in digital media and how gambling companies use sexual appeal, and the implied promise of romantic or sexual reward, to target young men.”Read statement
Fortinsky renews his defense of Novig's Sweeney ad
“Ultimately, I think we have nothing to apologize for and are very proud of the work that we did,”Read statement
Calkins defends the ad as sex-appeal marketing
“It was an ad that used sex appeal to catch the eye of a mostly-male market — not a "kick in the face" to female athletes, as four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus suggested.”Read statement
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- Gracie Kramer: the ad "reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle"
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The Dispute Index. "Gracie Kramer: the ad "reinforces the exact narrative we’ve been trying to dismantle"". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/704-gracie-kramer-told-nbc-news-the-novig-ad