Sydney Sweeney Faces Backlash Over Provocative Sports Ad, Seemingly Responds to Critics

Sydney Sweeney is facing backlash over her provocative new ad campaign.

The 29-year-old Euphoria actress recently stripped down for a campaign promoting sports-focused prediction market Novig, a company that she has joined as an equity partner.

While the campaign has generated plenty of attention online, some critics are calling out the way Sydney is being sexualized in an advertisement centered around sports.

In the campaign, Sydney strategically covers herself with equipment associated with sports like football, basketball, and hockey.

The concept plays off Novig’s focus exclusively on sports prediction markets, as opposed to competitors that also offer markets involving politics and celebrity news.

“The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports,” Sydney said in a statement about the campaign, adding that the idea was brought to life with “confidence, humor and a playful edge.”

However, the campaign has faced criticism on social media, with some viewers questioning its use of Sydney‘s body to promote a sports platform.

According to The Hollywood Reporter, commenters described the campaign as “inappropriate” and “sad,” while one critic argued that it was “exactly why women in sports aren’t taken seriously.”

The top-liked comments on the brand’s official post of the ad call it “tacky,” with another user saying they’re “deeply disappointed.”

Others have defended the actress and the campaign, with the provocative commercial generating millions of views online.

Confirmed: Sydney Sweeney knows ball. pic.twitter.com/EXQ4PzVZsi
— Novig (@Novig) September 9, 2026

Sydney Sweeney Is an Equity Partner in Novig

Sydney isn’t just a spokesperson for the company.

She is also an equity holder and strategic partner in Novig, and she was involved in developing the campaign from its early stages.

“I’ve been a part of the creative conversations from the very beginning,” she told Complex while discussing the partnership.

Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky also revealed that Sydney expressed that she was “uncomfortable” with prediction markets involving her personal life.

In an interview with FOS, Jacob said Sydney was bothered by markets allowing users to make predictions about personal matters, including the color of her underwear. He said Novig’s focus exclusively on sports appealed to her.

Did Sydney Sweeney Respond to the Backlash?

Sydney seemingly addressed some of the criticism on Sunday (September 13).

As Us Weekly noted, along with sharing more images from the campaign on her Instagram Stories, Sydney shared partially nude sports photos featuring athletes including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Sue Bird, Megan Rapinoe, Rob Gronkowski and Jason Kelce, among others.

Sydney did not explicitly say that the athlete photos were a response to criticism of her campaign, so it’s unclear if that was her intention.

The controversy comes more than a year after Sydney faced intense debate surrounding her “Great Jeans” campaign for American Eagle.

Find out what Sydney previously said about the controversy surrounding her American Eagle campaign.

Posted To:Novig Sports Sydney Sweeney

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