Marina Hyde: the backlash against the Novig ad is disproportionate
Marina HydeColumnist, The Guardian
Guardian columnist Marina Hyde argued in a signed opinion column that the backlash against the Novig ad is disproportionate.
“Come on. With respect, I just don’t think it’s a kick in the face for any of those things... I can’t help feeling it would have been cooler for women’s sport to simply not even mention the naked gambling ad at all.”
Analysis
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
Analysis
About this source
Marina Hyde’s signed Guardian opinion column arguing the backlash against Sweeney is disproportionate.
Before the quotation
Published as a signed opinion column in The Guardian.
After the quotation
Hyde’s column was published the day after Fortinsky’s Front Office Sports defense and directly quotes Titmus’s statement to rebut it.
How this statement is classified
The label describes this statement's response within the context above.
Why this label?
Hyde’s signed column directly disputes Titmus’s "kick in the face" characterization and argues the backlash is disproportionate, challenging how the ad has been characterized rather than defending its content on the merits.
- 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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- Marina Hyde: the backlash against the Novig ad is disproportionate
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- https://disputeindex.com/events/708-guardian-columnist-marina-hyde-argued-in-a-signed
Last updated marks the most recent saved version of this published statement.
The Dispute Index. "Marina Hyde: the backlash against the Novig ad is disproportionate". First published: 2026-09-16. Last updated: 2026-09-16. https://disputeindex.com/events/708-guardian-columnist-marina-hyde-argued-in-a-signed