Female athletes criticize Sydney Sweeney's sports trading advertisement
Athletes have responded to actress Sydney Sweeney's new ad for a sports prediction platform, saying it misrepresents women in sports.
Actress Sydney Sweeney appears in a national advertising campaign for Novig, a sports-focused prediction market, ahead of the football season. The series of images shows Sweeney posed with sports equipment covering her body, a concept the company says is intended to convey its "Just Sports" message with confidence and humor.
Several female athletes have publicly challenged the ad, posting their own competition footage and noting that it does not reflect how women actually look in sports. Gymnast Gracie Kramer wrote, "Idk what Sydney Sweeney was doing but this is what a woman in sports looks like," while Olympic sprinter Bree Masters added, "Respectfully Sydney Sweeney… This is what women in sports really look like."
Novig described the campaign as a way to cut through advertising clutter and focus solely on sports. In a press release, Sweeney said the concept is simple: to put the focus entirely on sports, and she also joined the company as a strategic partner and equity holder. CEO Jacob Fortinsky said the platform is designed for sports fans and is limited to users 21 and older.
The advertisement will run across digital, social, online video and out-of-home channels throughout the football season, with additional creative elements planned for the fall.