We’re in 2026—stop using women’s bodies to sell sports
If Novig is “just sports,” why do they need to sexualize a woman to sell it?
“Think you know sports? Prove it,” said Sydney Sweeney, as she stared into the camera with her chest covered by nothing but two footballs. It was the opening line of a Novig ad created to promote their sports prediction‑market app, which claims to be “just sports.” Not politics, not drama, just sports.
But the ad doesn’t show sports. It shows Sydney Sweeney posing with varying sports equipment while half- or fully‑naked. This includes shots with a football held between her legs, shoulder pads over her chest, sitting naked on a basketball hoop and racy tennis shots filmed from behind. The message is clear, and it has nothing to do with athletic knowledge.
There's nothing wrong with Sydney Sweeney choosing to be half-naked. Owning your sexuality isn’t the problem here. The problem is Novig’s use of a woman’s body to sell a sports product in an industry where women have spent decades fighting not to be sexualized.
As a woman working in sports media, I know exactly how quickly credibility can be stripped away and replaced with comments about appearance. Men can show up however they want and be taken seriously. Women have to prove constantly that we’re here for the sport, not to be gawked at. Our opinions, knowledge and skills shouldn’t be diminished because of our appearances.
That’s why this ad hit a nerve. It demonstrated the idea that a woman’s value in sports is tied to her looks, not what she knows, and that desirability still matters most. This perception undermines the work of athletes and journalists who fight every day to be recognized for their skills, voices, analysis and performances.
Female athletes and sports media professionals reacted immediately, leading to turmoil on social media. People like reporter Emmy Raine and Olympic athlete Tara Davis-Woodhall posted photos of themselves competing and interviewing with the caption: “Sydney Sweeney, this is what women in sports look like.” Their message was simple: sexualizing women to sell a sports gambling app is outdated, lazy and harmful.
If Novig is “just sports,” then show sports. Show athletes. Show competition. Show the passion that makes people care. The ad could have delivered the exact same message with Sydney Sweeney fully clothed, playing the sports being referenced. Instead, it chose to rely on a cliché that women in sports have been trying to abolish for years.
And yes, it's that deep. Because women have been trying to prove for years that we're more than just our bodies. That we can be equals, especially in the sports industry. That we're not here to tempt athletes or to sleep with them. Rather, we are here because of our love of sports, our passion for the emotions they bring out in people and our deep appreciation for analyzing them.
As an athlete, I can affirm that my body can push just as much as a man’s, that my butt isn’t what’s impressive and shouldn’t be your focus during a volleyball match, but my smash, my serve, or my pass should be. I can be feminine, wear makeup, want to look good, but also want to surpass myself to my fullest without having you comment on my appearance.
We deserve to be taken seriously in sports because of our knowledge and expertise, not our bodies. And we don’t need you sexualizing us to prove that we belong.
