Hollywood actress Sydney Sweeney is facing criticism on social media after female athletes objected to her new advertising campaign for sports prediction company Novig. Meanwhile, social media tracking data has also reported a decline of more than 200,000 followers on the actress’s Instagram account.
According to private TV channel Express News, Novig’s “Just Sports” campaign was launched on September 9, featuring Sydney Sweeney appearing almost naked while covering her body with equipment from various sports, including basketball, football and tennis. In one scene, she was seen sitting on a basketball hoop, while a line she delivered near a pool table at the end of the advertisement also became a topic of discussion on social media.
Female athletes criticized the campaign, calling it an unnecessary sexualized portrayal of women in sports. Four-time Olympic gold medalist swimmer Ariarne Titmus questioned why women’s bodies are still being presented in a sexualized manner to sell sports-related products.
American gymnast Gracie Kramer shared a video of herself competing with the message, “This is what a woman in sports really looks like,” while British athlete Amy Hunt associated the reality of sports with hard work, sweat, blood and tears.
World champion boxer Skye Nicolson also said that there is nothing wrong with a woman embracing her beauty and femininity, but using sexual appeal to sell sports-related products is a different matter. Australian athletes Tilly Kearns and Lani Pallister, among several others, also objected to the campaign.
Sydney Sweeney did not apologize for the campaign. Instead, she cited the example of athletes including Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey, who had posed partially or fully nude for ESPN’s Body Issue in the past. Critics argue that the key difference between the two campaigns is that ESPN presented the athletes’ bodies in the context of their sporting achievements, whereas Novig’s advertisement used Sydney Sweeney’s body to promote a sports prediction product.
Sydney Sweeney is not merely a brand ambassador for Novig; she is also a strategic partner and equity holder in the company, meaning she has a financial interest in it. According to Novig, Sydney herself proposed the partnership.
Despite the decline in followers, Sydney Sweeney still has millions of followers on Instagram, while tracking services cannot establish that all of the reported unfollows were caused by the advertisement. However, the timing of the decline does coincide with growing criticism of the campaign.
This is also not Sydney Sweeney’s first experience with an advertising controversy. In 2025, American Eagle’s “Sydney Sweeney Has Great Jeans” campaign also came under criticism, with the use of the words “jeans” and “genes” being interpreted as having controversial implications related to race and genetics. Sydney later said she was surprised by the reaction. Despite this, American Eagle reported record growth in new customers and brand awareness following the campaign and continued its partnership with Sydney.
Regarding Novig’s latest advertisement, one view is that the intense backlash and discussion on social media may have been part of the campaign’s strategy, as the controversy has certainly brought unusual attention to the company and its Sydney Sweeney campaign.
Also Read: US returns 36 stolen antiquities to Pakistan
