Sydney Sweeney is facing serious online criticism for her latest advertising campaign. The Euphoria star partnered with sports trading app Novig for an ad that shows her posing nude with various sports equipment. The campaign, titled “Novig Is Just Sports,” was released on Wednesday, September 9, 2026, and quickly went viral. Many people, especially women who work in sports, are calling the ad disrespectful and regressive. This is not the first time Sweeney has dealt with ad controversy. She faced major backlash in 2025 for an American Eagle denim campaign.
The new Novig ad features Sweeney using footballs, basketballs, hockey pads, and tennis racquets to cover herself. The commercial includes lines like, “Think you know sports? Prove it.” and “No betting on wars or deaths and no politics. Just you, your takes, and sports.” Within hours of its release, the video racked up 72,000 YouTube views and over 3 million views on X (formerly Twitter). Novig’s CEO, Jacob Fortinsky, later revealed that the idea to pose nude came from Sweeney herself. He also confirmed that she now holds an equity stake in the company.
Why People Are Angry About the Novig Campaign
The backlash against the Novig ad is intense. Many critics say the commercial sexualizes women in sports instead of celebrating their talents. One Instagram comment stood out and was widely shared. It read:
“As a former athlete and a woman who has personally experienced sexualised comments, I’m genuinely disgusted and deeply disappointed by this campaign. We’ve spent years fighting to be seen and respected for our talent, strength, and achievements — not reduced to our bodies.”
Another user on X wrote, “While women in sports are fighting to be seen for their talent and not to be sexualised this clearly Undo all the efforts.” A different comment called it “by far the worst commercial I have ever seen.” On TikTok, Marissa Womack, manager of game day promotions for the minor league baseball team the Harrisburg Senators, shared a video explaining why the ad bothers her. She said the criticism is not about jealousy toward Sweeney. Instead, she pointed out that sports is already a male-dominated field where women constantly have to prove they belong. Womack argued that when the only representation is sexualization, fewer young women want to pursue careers in the industry.
Other reactions pointed out the mixed message of selling a product focused on sports by using a naked body. One user wrote, “Selling gambling by selling sex. Society is crumbling before our eyes.” Another person commented on Sweeney’s Instagram post, “Thank you for undoing everything women try to build in sports.” Some parents also expressed concern about the ad appearing on television where children could see it.
The American Eagle Ad from 2025
This Novig controversy comes just over a year after Sweeney’s American Eagle campaign sparked a nationwide debate. The fall 2025 ad featured the tagline “Sydney Sweeney has great jeans,” which was a play on the words “great genes.” Critics argued the ad promoted white heritage and flirted with eugenics. The backlash was so big that it drew comments from US President Donald Trump and Vice-President JD Vance, who both supported Sweeney and the brand.
American Eagle Faces Backlash Over Sydney Sweeney’s “Great Jeans” Ad Accused of Promoting Eugenics
Sweeney later spoke out about that controversy. In December 2025, she said her silence on the issue had “widened the divide.” She also said she was “surprised by the reaction” and stressed that she participated in the American Eagle campaign because she supported the brand. Despite the criticism, American Eagle reported its strongest sales period after the ad launched, with double-digit growth in denim categories.
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What Sweeney and Novig Have Said
Sweeney has defended the new Novig campaign. She told Complex magazine that the commercial was meant to “really bring the concept of ‘just sports’ to life.” She also said she does not like to just put her face on something without being involved. “I really want to be able to get into the weeds of it with an amazing team,” she explained.
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky told Front Office Sports that Sweeney approached the company about an equity partnership. He said she was drawn to Novig because it focuses only on sports, unlike competitors that offer markets on non-sports topics. Fortinsky claimed Sweeney was “uncomfortable” with other platforms that offer markets on things like what color underwear she might wear. He said the ad’s racy content is acceptable because “trading is for adults” and Novig requires users to be 21 or older. Fortinsky also said more Sweeney ads are coming, including one focused on responsible trading.
The Novig ad arrived during a busy week for prediction market marketing. Polymarket released a star-studded commercial featuring LeBron James and other celebrities just one day before the Novig ad dropped. That ad also faced criticism, with some users calling James a “sellout.” Prediction markets are spending heavily on celebrity campaigns as they compete for users ahead of major sports seasons. Kalshi, another platform, ran ads with Lionel Messi during the World Cup.
Sweeney was most recently seen in Season 3 of Euphoria on HBO, which is available to stream on JioHotstar. She also starred in the sports drama Christy and the thriller The Housemaid.
Also Read: Fitness Influencer Togi Takes Aim At Sydney Sweeney Over Nude Novig Ad With Mormon Comment
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