A new commercial for the sports prediction platform Novig has started a firestorm. Sydney Sweeney appeared nearly nude in the spot, using sports equipment as props. She held footballs and basketballs where clothes might have done the job. The ad opens with a simple challenge: “Think you know sports?” It ends with two words: “Prove it.”
The reaction was immediate. According to RedState, critics charge the campaign with sexualizing female athletes. CNN ran a segment calling the commercial “hypersexualized”. The network dug up four Australian athletes to complain about the ad. RedState reports that the BBC tracked down British athletes to target Sweeney too.
Sydney Sweeney might be one of the most photogenic people in Hollywood right now. pic.twitter.com/NmxMA2HfPl
— ProfeshTalk (@ProfeshTalk) September 10, 2026
One critic observed that a 42-second commercial can push women’s sports back significantly, per RedState. That is the claim driving the outrage.
Female athletes from around the world took to social media to voice their anger. Australian surfer Felicity Palmateer told CNN that Sweeney’s Novig campaign was “very damaging” for female athletes. British athlete Lucy Davis wrote, “I don’t know wtf Sydney Sweeney was doing, but it’s 2026. Stop sexualizing women in sport”.
Davis added, “We didn’t come this far to only come this far”. She shared video footage of her own athleticism. Her caption read, “Maybe instead of teaching girls how their bodies should look, we show them what their bodies can do”.
“Sweat, blood and tears.”❤️🔥
British sprinter Amy Hunt is among the female athletes to speak out against a controversial sports gambling advert starring actress Sydney Sweeney. pic.twitter.com/Hrotzy8AjV
— BBC Sport (@BBCSport) September 14, 2026
Australian swimmer Lani Pallister shared a video with the caption, “Don’t know what Sydney Sweeney thinks sport looks like, but THIS is what sport looks like”. Australian World champion boxer Skye Nicolson accused Sweeney of making a “mockery” of women in sports. Nicolson wrote, “There’s a big difference between looking ‘sexy’ because you do sport compared to using sex to sell ‘sport'”.
Sweeney did not stay silent. She responded to the backlash by sharing photos of naked athletes on her Instagram Stories. Breitbart states The Daily Mail reported she shared images of Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, and Caroline Wozniacki posing nude for magazines.
🔥 SYDNEY SWEENEY RESPONDS — The actress appears to be pushing back after a controversial sports-themed campaign triggered criticism from female athletes.
Several prominent athletes accused the campaign of sexualizing women’s sports, responding with footage of themselves…
— XPRESS (@Xpress_24_7) September 14, 2026
She also drew attention to men who have removed their clothing for athletic purposes. Per Breitbart, her post featured Myles Garrett, Rob Gronkowski, Karl-Anthony Towns, and Jason Kelce. The point was clear: nudity in sports is not new. It is a standard part of the culture.
this week a hot new bombshell enters the villa pic.twitter.com/iNaeMPcjv2
— Phoenix Mercury (@PhoenixMercury) August 27, 2024
Not everyone agreed with her defense. One Instagram user wrote, “As a former athlete and a woman who has personally experienced sexualized comments, I’m genuinely disgusted and disappointed by this campaign”. Another user stated, “We’ve spent years fighting to be seen and respected for our talent, strength and achievements, not reduced to our bodies…”.
A third user wrote, “It’s too bad she couldn’t do an ad like this with her clothes on”. Others asked, “Can’t sell or be a normal girl if she doesn’t use her body as a tool”. One person simply asked, “How do we cancel this?”.
