‘It is that deep’: Female athletes hit back at Sydney Sweeney’s sexualized ‘just sports’ ad, tell me about this news in (https://www.nbcnews.com/sports/sports/female-athletes-hit-back-sydney-sweeneys-sexualized-just-sports-ad-rcna597489)
13-09-2026
The controversy centers around an advertising campaign starring actor Sydney Sweeney for the sports betting and prediction platform Novig, in which she also serves as a strategic partner and equity holder. Ground NewsThe Ad CampaignIn the national campaign, titled “Just Sports,” Sweeney appears nearly nude, using various pieces of athletic equipmentincluding football pads, basketballs, hockey gear, and tennis racquetsto strategically cover herself. Throughout the commercial, she delivers lines emphasizing that the platform focuses strictly on sports, concluding with playful commentary on the visual spectacle itself. Novig defended the creative direction as an intentional, humorous, and bold way to cut through advertising noise with a playful edge. Hindustan Times+ 2The Backlash from Female AthletesThe commercial quickly went viral and drew swift pushback from female athletes, former competitors, and sports advocates: Hindustan Times
- Undermining Progress: Critics argued that the campaign relies on overt sexualization and objectification of women’s bodies to sell sports. Several female athletesincluding Australian Olympic sprinter Bree Mastersvoiced frustration, emphasizing that women in sports have spent decades fighting to be recognized and valued for their athletic achievements, skill, and physical strength rather than their sex appeal. Outlook India+ 1
- “It Is That Deep”: Commentators and athletes pushed back against suggestions that the ad was simply harmless fun or satire, arguing that reducing women in sports environments to sexualized props perpetuates regressive stereotypes.