Actress Sydney Sweeney has experienced a notable decline in her Instagram following, losing more than 200,000 followers in recent days, following the release of a provocative advertisement for the sports-focused prediction market Novig. The commercial, featuring Sweeney posing nude with strategically placed sports equipment, has ignited a widespread debate, drawing significant criticism from prominent female athletes who contend it sexualizes women's sports.
"How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?" Ariarne Titmus, Retired Australian Swimmer
The advertisement, which debuted last Wednesday, quickly went viral across social media platforms, accumulating tens of millions of views on Instagram and X. It aimed to promote Novig's commitment to offering markets solely focused on "just sports," intending to cut through the noise of politics, war, and other non-sporting subjects. Sweeney, 29, who holds an equity stake in Novig, played a central creative role in the campaign, according to the company.
Initially, Sweeney's Instagram account saw an increase of approximately 50,000 followers after the ad's release. However, this trend reversed sharply, with Social Blade analytics indicating a loss of 136,848 followers on Sunday and an additional 68,000 on Monday. This cumulative decline pushed the total reported loss above 200,000. Despite this reduction, the lost followers represent less than 1% of her total audience, which still exceeds 25 million as of Tuesday. While the timing strongly links the follower decline to the advertisement's controversy, public data does not definitively establish the individual reasons for each unfollow.
The commercial has faced strong condemnation from numerous female athletes. British sprinter Amy Hunt, speaking after competing in the 200-meter race at the World Athletics Ultimate Championship, directly addressed the controversy. "Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sport look like," Hunt stated during her post-race interview, gesturing to the visible muscles, evidence of training, sweat, and sacrifice of the competitors. Retired Australian swimmer Ariarne Titmus, a four-time Olympic gold medalist, described the advertisement as "an absolute joke" and expressed her dismay at its implications for women dedicated to athletic achievement. "How do we live in a world where monetising a woman’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?" Titmus reportedly wrote, as cited by ABC News. American gymnast Gracie Kramer contributed to the discourse by sharing footage of her training, accompanied by the message, "This is what a woman in sport looks like." Other athletes echoed similar sentiments, posting images of themselves in competition and training to counter the ad's portrayal.
In response to the criticism, Sydney Sweeney defended the campaign as a "playful effort" to highlight Novig's exclusive focus on sports markets. "The concept is simple: cut through the noise and put the focus entirely on sports," Sweeney articulated. "The campaign brings that idea to life with confidence, humor and a playful edge." She further supported her stance by sharing photographs of other notable female athletes, including Serena Williams, Ronda Rousey, Megan Rapinoe, Sue Bird, and Caroline Wozniacki, who have previously posed nude for various magazines.
Novig CEO Jacob Fortinsky confirmed Sweeney's deep involvement in the campaign's development. "It really was Sydney who was driving a lot of the visuals and the messaging," Fortinsky told Front Office Sports. He clarified that Novig did not intend for the advertisement to depict women's sports directly, instead viewing Sweeney as an actress communicating the platform's singular focus. Fortinsky expressed satisfaction with the campaign's overall reception, despite the negative feedback, noting its significant impact on Novig's visibility. The ad's post on X garnered over 12 million views, while the Instagram version surpassed 47 million, performing approximately 400 times better than the company's previous Instagram video. Fortinsky asserted that Sweeney's ability to attract attention successfully propelled Novig into the national conversation.
This is not the first time Sweeney has been involved in an advertisement that sparked controversy. Her 2025 American Eagle campaign, which used a wordplay involving "jeans" and "genes," faced accusations of promoting racial or eugenicist themes, allegations the company denied. Neither Sweeney nor Novig has indicated any regret regarding the current advertisement. Both the actress and the company continue to defend the campaign, while athletes and other critics maintain that it projects a damaging image of women's sports.
