Female athletes unload on Sydney Sweeney’s steamy sports ad — she appears to fire right back

BS BULLETIN:

Sydney Sweeney’s provocative campaign for sports prediction platform Novig is drawing backlash from prominent female athletes.
Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus called the ad a “kick in the face” to women who have dedicated their lives to sports.
Sweeney appeared to answer the criticism by posting old ESPN covers featuring nude or semi-nude star athletes.

Sydney Sweeney has managed to start another advertising war — and this time some of the loudest critics are female athletes.

The actress stars in a provocative campaign for sports prediction platform Novig that features her wearing little or nothing while strategically positioned sports equipment provides the necessary coverage.

The campaign’s joke is that Novig offers “just sports.”

But several accomplished female athletes aren’t laughing.

Female athletes, who never seem to have anything to say when a man plays in their sport, are calling out Sydney Sweeney for her recent sports ad

“Sydney Sweeney this is what women’s sport looks like,” said British sprinter Amy Hunt.

Many other women have joined in on the trend. pic.twitter.com/E8juywJEZM

— Collin Rugg (@CollinRugg) September 14, 2026

Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus said she was infuriated by the campaign and questioned why women’s bodies were still being used to sexualize sports.

British sprinter Amy Hunt went directly at Sweeney after competing in Budapest.

“Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like,” Hunt said, pointing instead to “muscles, hard work, sweat, blood, tears.”

Olympians are among those slamming a raunchy new gambling ad featuring Hollywood star Sydney Sweeney. The explicit commercial is dividing opinions over whether it’s dragging down female athletes. #Hollywood #FemaleAthletes #Olympians #Sports pic.twitter.com/yPtF3YFC5b

— 7NEWS Queensland (@7NewsBrisbane) September 15, 2026

Former U.S. gymnast Gracie Kramer also blasted the campaign, saying female athletes have spent years fighting to be recognized for what they can do instead of simply being reduced to their bodies.

Olympic cyclist Sophie Capewell questioned why a sexualized woman was chosen as the face of a campaign connected to sports instead of an athlete.

Then Sweeney appeared to respond.

She posted images from ESPN The Magazine’s famous Body Issue featuring athletes who themselves posed nude or semi-nude, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe and Caroline Wozniacki.

She didn’t spell out the argument.

She probably didn’t have to.

Novig, meanwhile, has defended the campaign’s concept, saying it was designed around a fun idea and used “confidence, humor and a playful edge” to emphasize the company’s focus on sports.

And whatever anyone thinks of the execution, the controversy certainly solved one problem for a relatively new sports platform:

People know its name now.