Sydney Sweeney Sports Ad Draws Athlete Backlash

A sports-betting campaign starring Sydney Sweeney has triggered a wider argument about how women in athletics are represented. The Novig advertisement, built around the phrase “wearing just sports,” shows the actor using pieces of sporting equipment to cover her body. Its release drew attention online, but the conversation quickly shifted from celebrity marketing to criticism from elite female athletes.

Athletes redirect the spotlight

British sprinter Amy Hunt addressed the campaign after finishing fourth in the 200 meters at the Ultimate Championship in Budapest. Speaking to BBC Sport after running a season-best 22.10 seconds, Hunt contrasted the advertisement with the training, strength and competitive work behind women’s sport.

Her response joined a growing social-media trend led by American gymnast Gracie Kramer. Kramer posted footage of her training and competing to challenge the image presented in the campaign. Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic champion, also criticized the sexualization of female athletes, arguing that it diminished the teamwork, discipline and excellence that define their careers.

Other athletes who added their voices included British Olympic cycling champion Sophie Capewell, rugby players Lisa Neumann and Ellie Boatman, and Australian water polo Olympian Tilly Kearns. Their posts turned the campaign into a broader discussion about whether high-profile advertising celebrates women’s accomplishments or falls back on appearance as the main selling point.

A celebrity campaign becomes a sports debate

Sweeney, 29, is best known for Euphoria and films including Anyone But You and The Housemaid. Her participation gave Novig’s campaign immediate reach beyond the betting industry. The backlash, however, has been driven less by her acting career than by the contrast athletes see between the ad’s imagery and the reality of elite competition.

The response is notable because athletes used their own performances as the counter-message. Hunt pointed to the women’s 200-meter final, where Melissa Jefferson-Wooden won in 21.47 seconds, while Kramer’s training montage drew extensive engagement. Rather than asking audiences simply to reject an advertisement, they supplied an alternative picture centered on speed, preparation and achievement.

Neither criticism nor virality alone settles how the campaign will affect Novig or Sweeney. What is clear is that a celebrity promotion intended to capture attention has given female athletes a prominent opening to define women’s sport on their own terms.