‘Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like’: female athletes spark backlash against viral advert

American actress Sydney Sweeney has come under fire from female Olympians and professional athletes after appearing in a controversial advertisement for the sports prediction platform Novig. The commercial, which was viewed more than 22 million times within its first two days of release, features Sweeney's nude body partially obscured by footballs, basketballs, and other sports equipment as she promotes the platform's betting services. The ad quickly became a viral sensation, drawing widespread criticism for what many in the women's sports community described as the sexualisation and demeaning of female athletes.

The backlash was led by British sprinter Amy Hunt and a coalition of female Olympians who accused Sweeney of reducing women's sports to a spectacle of the female form rather than celebrating athletic achievement. In the ad, Sweeney repeats the word "sports" nine times before appearing topless on a pool table, at which point she tells viewers, "You can't trade this, I just look good here." Critics argued that the message undermined the hard work and dedication of women who compete at the highest levels of sport, framing their bodies as the primary draw rather than their performance.

The incident has reignited a broader debate about the representation of women in sports marketing and whether commercial campaigns risk reinforcing outdated stereotypes about female athletes. While Novig has not yet issued a public response to the outcry, the sustained pressure from the sporting community suggests the controversy is unlikely to fade quickly.