Sydney Sweeney loses 200K followers after nude sports-betting ad sparks athlete backlash

Sydney Sweeney, known for her role in "Euphoria," faced significant backlash after appearing nude in a 60-second advertisement for sports-prediction platform Novig released in mid-September 2026. In the ad, Sweeney posed with various sports equipment including footballs, basketballs, soccer balls, and hockey nets, with minimal coverage. The campaign carried the tagline "Just sports" and emphasized that the platform allows betting on sports only—not on wars, deaths, or politics.

The advertisement generated swift criticism from elite female athletes across multiple sports who condemned the campaign as sexualizing women's sports. Within three days of the ad's release, Sweeney lost over 200,000 Instagram followers, representing less than 1% of her 25 million total followers. The post itself accumulated 1.1 million likes on Instagram. Notable athletes who publicly criticized the campaign included Australian Olympic swimming champion Ariarne Titmus, British runner Amy Hunt, American gymnast Gracie Kramer, Australian water polo player Tilly Kearns, and world boxing champion Skye Nicolson. Several athletes articulated concerns about how the advertisement perpetuated the sexualization of female athletes rather than celebrating their athletic achievements, training, and dedication.

In response to the criticism, female athletes launched a coordinated social media campaign initiated by Gracie Kramer, posting photos and videos of themselves training and competing. The posts emphasized the physical reality of women's sports—describing "muscles, hard work, blood, sweat and tears"—and used captions such as "This is what women in sports look like." Kramer's original post received over one million likes within 24 hours. Athletes highlighted the disconnect between sexualized imagery and the actual demands of elite athletic competition.

Sweeney did not directly address the criticism in a statement. Instead, she posted photos of ESPN's Body Issue magazine covers featuring nude athletes, suggesting a comparison between her advertisement and published sports media. In her official statement about the campaign, Sweeney said: "The campaign was about embracing a fun idea. The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports. The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge." Sweeney holds the position of strategic partner and equity holder in Novig.

This marks the second controversial advertising campaign involving Sweeney in recent years. In 2025, she starred in an American Eagle jeans advertisement with the tagline "Sydney Sweeney has great jeans," which some critics interpreted as a play on words referencing "genes" and eugenic concepts. That campaign drew accusations of racism and sexism, though American Eagle stock subsequently rose 30%, and former U.S. President Donald Trump publicly praised the ad. Sweeney responded at the time by stating she was "surprised by the reaction" and that she opposed "hate and division."