Sydney Sweeney responds as sports ad backlash grows
Sydney Sweeney’s latest sports campaign has sparked a wave of discussion far beyond the advertisement itself. The Novig project was designed to put sports at the center, but reactions from athletes quickly pushed the campaign into a wider conversation about women, sports, and celebrity advertising.
As the debate grew, Sweeney made a move on social media that caught attention and added another layer to the story. From the campaign’s creative direction to the reactions that followed, there are several details worth looking at before drawing your own conclusions.
The advertisement centers on sports
The 42-second advertisement shows Sweeney using sports equipment while appearing nude or nearly nude in several scenes. The commercial references basketball, tennis, hockey, golf, baseball, soccer, and football while repeating the campaign’s sports-focused message.
Novig said the campaign would run across digital, social, online video, and out-of-home placements during football season. The company also said additional creative work and activations were planned for the fall.
Female athletes criticize the campaign
The campaign quickly drew criticism from female athletes who objected to how women and sports were presented. Their responses focused on the contrast between athletic achievement and an advertisement centered on Sweeney’s body.
British sprinter Amy Hunt addressed the campaign after finishing fourth in the 200-meter final at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus and former gymnast Gracie Kramer also publicly criticized the advertisement.
Gracie Kramer shares her response
Gracie Kramer shared competition footage alongside a message contrasting athletic performance with the imagery used in Sweeney’s advertisement. Her post became one of several athlete responses that circulated widely across social media.
Other athletes, including Sofie Fella and several Australian sportswomen, also criticized the campaign publicly. Their posts emphasized training, competition, physical effort, and the work involved in participating in sport.
Sweeney describes the campaign
Sweeney did not issue a separate detailed statement addressing each criticism from athletes as the backlash developed. Instead, she had described the campaign as a playful idea focused on sports and said she was involved in its creation.
Her earlier comments also connected the project to her own interest in athletics. She has said she played on soccer and softball teams, was on a ski team, learned to slalom ski, and participated in MMA while growing up.
Her Body Issue posts gain attention
Sweeney later posted images of athletes who had appeared nude or semi-nude in ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue. The images included Serena Williams, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Ronda Rousey, Caroline Wozniacki, Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce.
The posts appeared while athletes were criticizing the Novig advertisement. Sweeney did not publicly explain the reason for sharing those specific photographs.
The Body Issue becomes part of debate
The Body Issue references became a major part of the online discussion surrounding Sweeney’s response. ESPN The Magazine’s Body Issue was an annual special edition that featured professional athletes posing nude or semi-nude while focusing on their bodies and athletic identities.
Sweeney’s posts connected her campaign to an established sports-media format involving nude or semi-nude athlete photography. However, she did not explicitly state that the Novig advertisement was intended to replicate the Body Issue.
Novig explains Sweeney’s creative role
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky later discussed the campaign publicly at a Front Office Sports event in New York. He said Sweeney helped drive many of the advertisement’s visuals and messaging during the creative process.
Fortinsky also said Novig did not intend the commercial to portray women’s sports specifically. He described Sweeney as the person communicating the company’s broader sports-focused identity.
Interesting fact: Sydney’s Novig partnership goes beyond appearing in the advertisement. She joined the sports-prediction company as a strategic partner and equity holder, according to reporting on the campaign.
The campaign generates major online reach
Novig’s campaign produced substantial online attention as the controversy expanded. On September 15, Front Office Sports reported that the company’s post had received more than 12 million views on X and more than 47 million views on Instagram.
The company launched nationally in August, shortly before the Sweeney campaign appeared. Novig describes itself as a sports-focused prediction market and maintains a 21+ participation requirement.
Sweeney has other sports connections
Sweeney’s connection to sports extends beyond the Novig campaign and her childhood activities. She portrayed professional boxer Christy Martin in the 2025 biographical film “Christy,” a role that required physical preparation to portray the real athlete.
She has also discussed following hockey and boxing and developing greater appreciation for fighters through that project. Those experiences became part of the broader conversation about her sports-related interests.
American Eagle controversy returns
The Novig controversy also revived attention on Sweeney’s previous advertising dispute with American Eagle. That 2025 campaign used “jeans” and “genes” as a central wordplay device and generated debate about race, genetics, and advertising.
Sweeney later said she was surprised by the reaction and explained that she participated because she loved the jeans and the brand. The earlier controversy and current campaign are separate advertising partnerships.
Different views shape the discussion
The current discussion includes different views about what the Novig advertisement communicates about women, sports, and celebrity marketing. Athletes who criticized it focused on sexualization and representation, while Novig emphasized its sports-only brand positioning.
Sweeney’s public comments have centered on the campaign’s humor, sports focus, and her creative involvement. Her social-media posts added the Body Issue comparison without providing a detailed written explanation.
The internet is also talking about Joe Buck addressing ESPN criticism following viewer complaints during Monday Night Football.
The debate continues around the campaign
The debate around Sweeney’s Novig campaign remains tied to several documented developments from September 2026. These include athlete criticism, Sweeney’s Body Issue posts, Novig’s explanation of the campaign, and her established connections to sports.
Public reporting has not identified a detailed statement from Sweeney addressing each criticism raised by athletes. The documented record includes the advertisement, athlete reactions, Sweeney’s posts, and comments from Novig executives.
In other news, Aryna Sabalenka hit with another financial blow after US Open penalty.
What do you think about the controversy surrounding Sydney Sweeney’s Novig campaign? Like this slideshow and comment with your take.
This slideshow was made with AI assistance and human editing.
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