Sydney Sweeney Faces Backlash Over Marketing Campaign for Sports Platform Novig
New York, Sunday, 13 September 2026.
Actress Sydney Sweeney’s provocative new ad for sports trading app Novig sparked intense industry backlash over the sexualization of women in male-dominated sports fields.
Campaign Launch and Strategic Partnership
Actress Sydney Sweeney officially partnered with sports trading application Novig on Wednesday, 2026-09-09, serving as both a strategic partner and equity holder for the platform [1]. The promotional advertisement, released on social media channels during the week of 2026-09-07, features the actress posing with various sports balls and uniforms placed on her mostly naked body [1][2]. Novig, which launched in August 2026, positions itself as a sports prediction and trading app focused exclusively on sports outcomes without political or non-sports betting options [1][2]. The campaign aims to cut through market noise by focusing entirely on sports, utilizing a strategy Sweeney describes as bringing the idea to life with confidence, humor, and a playful edge [1].
Public Backlash and Industry Criticism
Significant online scrutiny has emerged following the ad’s release, with critics describing the content as sexualized, vulgar, and inappropriate for television airing [1]. Marissa Womack, manager of game day promotions and programming for the Harrisburg Senators, posted a TikTok video arguing that such representation hinders young women wanting to pursue careers in the male-dominated sports industry [1]. This incident follows a similar controversy in 2025 involving Sweeney’s American Eagle jeans ad campaign, which faced accusations related to white supremacy and eugenics references [2][3]. Social media users have expressed frustration that the marketing relies on sexualization rather than focusing on the financial or athletic mechanics of the platform [1].
Engagement Metrics and Market Impact
Despite the criticism, the campaign has generated substantial attention, with the advertisement reportedly achieving 24.5 million views on Instagram as of 2026-09-10 [3]. Engagement metrics indicate a polarized reception, with fewer than 1 million likes recorded against the high view count, prompting discussion regarding the appropriateness of the content [1]. Clayton Durant, founder of CAD Management, analyzed the campaign impact using the Meltwater platform and reported a 1,180% increase in brand mentions for Novig [3]. This surge represents a rise from an average of 392 mentions per week to 4,633 following the ad’s debut, a growth rate calculable as 1081.888 [3].
Corporate Response and Future Outlook
In response to the controversy, Sweeney stated that Novig is just about sports, emphasizing no betting on wars, deaths, or politics [2]. Novig Co-founder and CEO Jacob Fortinsky noted that Sweeney took a huge part in developing the campaign, contributing to both the creative process and messaging [3]. The company maintains that the concept is simple: to put the focus entirely on sports without external distractions [2]. As of Sunday, 13 September 2026, the debate continues regarding the ethical implications of influencer partnerships in high-stakes sports trading platforms [1][3].