Female Athletes Condemn Sydney Sweeney's Sports Betting Advertisement
9 sources across 8 countries
Who reported this
- The Guardian
- BBC News
- Folha de S.Paulo
- Le Monde
- Der Spiegel
- The Indian Express
- ANSA
- El Pais
- CNN
What the colours mean
- Left
- Centre-left
- Centre
- Centre-right
- Right
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Actress Sydney Sweeney is facing widespread criticism from professional female athletes following the release of a promotional campaign for the sports trading app Novig. The advertisement features Sweeney, who is a shareholder in the company, appearing naked or minimally clad while posing with various sports equipment such as boxing gloves, tennis rackets, and golf clubs. The spot, which has garnered millions of views on social media, promotes betting on sport rather than politics or war.
Numerous high level athletes have denounced the campaign as a sexualization of women's sports. Australian Olympic swimmer Ariarne Titmus described the ad as a kick in the face to women who have dedicated their lives to their craft. Other athletes, including American gymnast Gracie Kramer, British sprinter Amy Hunt, and Australian surfer Felicity Palmateer, have criticized the imagery for prioritizing appearance over athletic achievement. Many of these women responded by posting videos of their own training and competitions to demonstrate what women's sport actually looks like.
Sweeney has not issued a direct statement regarding the controversy. However, she shared a series of Instagram stories featuring photos of professional athletes, including Serena Williams and Ronda Rousey, who posed for ESPN Body Issue photoshoots. This action was interpreted by some reports as a suggestion of hypocrisy among her critics.
This is not the first time Sweeney's commercial work has sparked debate. Several reports mention a previous campaign for American Eagle jeans that drew criticism over its focus on genes and beauty standards. While center left outlets frame the current controversy as a regressive step in the fight for the professionalization and respect of women's sports, center outlets focus more on the viral nature of the backlash and the specific reactions of the athletes.
How each side framed it
- Centre-left
- These outlets frame the event as a systemic issue of sexualization and a regression in the fight for women's athletic recognition.
- Centre
- These outlets focus on the factual sequence of the viral backlash and the specific public responses from athletes and the actress.
Sources
- Centre ANSA: Sidney Sweeney poses naked for sports betting, female champions: 'We are humiliated'
- Centre BBC News: Amy Hunt tells Sydney Sweeney 'this is what women in sport look like' after controversial ad
- Centre-left CNN: Sydney Sweeney under fire from athletes over nude sports-prediction ad
- Centre-left Der Spiegel: Sydney Sweeney in shitstorm again because of promotional video: "disgusted and deeply disappointed"
- Centre-left El Pais: Sydney Sweeney responds to criticism for stripping in a sports betting advertisement with nudes of well known athletes
- Centre Folha de S.Paulo: Ad with naked Sydney Sweeney causes indignation among athletes
- Centre-left Le Monde: "An affront to all women": a scantily clad advertisement featuring actress Sydney Sweeney scandalizes many high-level female athletes
- Centre-left The Guardian: Sydney Sweeney’s prediction ad is cynical, unhealthy and reveals plenty about modern sports | Jane McManus
- Centre The Indian Express: Sydney Sweeney breaks silence amid backlash over ‘mostly naked’ sports betting app advert
100% of the statements in this article were traced back to the source articles listed above.