Sydney Sweeney’s Latest Ad Sparks Backlash as Athletes Challenge the Message

Sydney Sweeney is once again at the centre of a heated advertising controversy, this time after a provocative campaign for sports prediction company Novig drew criticism from athletes and commentators over its portrayal of women and sport.

The campaign features Sweeney in a series of sexually suggestive sports-themed images, including one scene in which she appears topless while holding footballs. The advertisement promotes Novig’s sports prediction platform and places Sweeney’s celebrity image at the heart of its marketing strategy.

According to ABC News, Sweeney also holds an equity stake in the company, giving her a financial interest in the business behind the campaign.

The campaign quickly attracted criticism from female athletes who argued that the imagery undermines efforts to have women recognised for their sporting ability rather than their appearance.

Australian Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus was among those to criticise the campaign, while other athletes shared images highlighting their athletic achievements in response. Lynne Cantwell, head of women’s strategy at Irish Rugby, also questioned the way women were being represented.

But Guardian columnist Marina Hyde has challenged the intensity of the backlash against Sweeney.

In a September 15 opinion column, Hyde questioned whether the actor herself should be the main target of public anger. She argued that the controversy risks focusing too heavily on Sweeney while overlooking the larger commercial issue: the promotion of sports betting.

That distinction has become central to the debate.

Critics see the advertisement as another example of women being sexualised in a sporting environment at a time when women’s sport is fighting for greater recognition and commercial equality. Others argue that Sweeney, as an adult, has the right to make her own professional choices and that criticism of an advertisement should not automatically become condemnation of the person appearing in it.

The controversy also highlights the growing relationship between sport, celebrity and gambling. Betting companies increasingly use famous personalities to attract attention, while provocative advertising can generate enormous visibility through social media even when the reaction is negative.

Sweeney has faced advertising controversies before, including the debate surrounding her 2025 American Eagle campaign. Her latest campaign has once again transformed a commercial decision into a much broader cultural argument.

Ultimately, the Sweeney controversy is about more than one advertisement. It raises questions about how women are represented, how celebrities are used to sell products and how closely gambling has become tied to modern sports culture.

Sweeney may be the face of the campaign, but the debate surrounding it reaches far beyond the actor herself.