Sydney Sweeney has stepped into the sports world with a provocative new advertising campaign for Novig, but the campaign has already drawn criticism from women who actually compete in it.
The actress stars in Novig’s new national campaign promoting the sports trading platform ahead of football season. The ads feature Sweeney posing with sports balls and athletic equipment, with the props strategically positioned to cover her body. Novig says the concept is built around its “Just Sports” message, but several female athletes have taken a different view.
Gymnast Gracie Kramer was among those to respond, posting videos of herself competing alongside a pointed message aimed at the campaign. “Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sports looks like,” Kramer wrote.
Olympic 100-metre semi-finalist Bree Masters also weighed in, sharing images from her own athletic career. “Respectfully Sydney Sweeney… This is what women in sports really look like,” she wrote. Their responses have added another layer to the online debate surrounding the decision to use Sweeney’s appearance and sexuality to promote a sports-focused business.
Novig, however, makes no apology for the approach. The company described the campaign as an intentionally provocative way of bringing its “Just Sports” message to life with “confidence, humour and a playful edge.” Sweeney is also joining the company as a strategic partner and equity holder. Novig launched nationwide last month and describes itself as a sports-focused prediction market combining elements of financial exchanges with a platform designed specifically for sports fans.
The company says its service is restricted to users aged 21 and over, and claims to be the only prediction market maintaining that requirement. The campaign will run across digital, social, online video and outdoor advertising throughout football season, with more creative and activations planned for the autumn. For Sweeney, meanwhile, this is another advertising campaign putting her firmly in the middle of the conversation. Her 2025 American Eagle jeans campaign also generated plenty of debate online. This time, the argument is less about denim and more about what women in sport are supposed to look like.
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Last modified: September 14, 2026
