Sydney Sweeney faces backlash after the Novig ad in which she appears nearly naked to promote sports betting

Actress Sydney Sweeney has sparked a new controversy after appearing nearly naked in an advertisement for the American sports betting company Novig. In the viral spot, she uses two American footballs to cover her breasts. The campaign promotes the sports prediction platform and has generated millions of views.

Several Olympic athletes and figures from the world of sport have criticized the advertisement, accusing the company of sexualizing women’s image to sell betting. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic champion, said that she was furious and that the spot represents a blow to women who have devoted their lives to sport.

British sprinter Amy Hunt, swimmer Lani Pallister, and other athletes published images of training sessions, competitions, and medals in response to the campaign. Their central message was that the reality of women’s sport means hard work, discipline, and performance, not just image and seduction. World boxing champion Skye Nicolson emphasized the difference between looking sexy as an athlete and using sex to sell sport.

According to data cited by Variety, Sweeney initially gained approximately 50,000 Instagram followers, but later lost around 200,000, from a community of approximately 25 million. The actress continues to share campaign materials, however, and is a strategic partner and shareholder of Novig.

The controversy recalls the reactions sparked in 2025 by her advertisement for American Eagle, criticized for the wordplay between “genes” (genes; /dʒiːnz/) and “jeans” (jeans; /dʒiːnz/) and for its references to heredity.