Sydney Sweeney’s ad isn’t ‘just sports,’ it’s a political statement

While writing this, I’ve watched Sydney Sweeney’s ad for the sports betting company, Novig, more times than I wanted to. Each time I’ve watched it, I’ve felt more and more disgusted.

For years, women have fought for the rights of female athletes and sports fans. This fight is far from over. 

A 2023 study conducted by Canadian Women & Sport found that two in every three Canadians are women’s sports fans. Yet female athletes still earn significantly less money, receive less broadcasting time and hold fewer executive and leadership positions in sports than their male counterparts. 

The Sweeney Novig ad makes this fight even harder. 

The ad, which features Sweeney in sexually suggestive positions wearing gear from different sports, doesn’t try to make women feel empowered or acknowledged as sports fans at all. Instead, it’s directed at young men who desire a pornographic idea of women and sports. 

What really bothers me about this whole campaign is not only the disservice it does to women, but also how the actress says there’s “no betting on wars or deaths, and no politics. Just you, your takes on sports,” with Novig.

You can’t separate sports from politics. Throughout the years, players have protested against racism, fans have shown support for Palestine during soccer matches, and hockey players have displayed support for the LGBTQ+ community by using pride tape on their sticks — even after it was banned. Engaging in sports is a political act.

Novig’s audience doesn’t care about the female athletes who are breaking records and making history. They only see the ad as something they can jerk off to while fantasizing about having sex with a submissive, Barbie-like woman on a basketball court. 

From a marketing perspective, I understand why they made this decision. I had no idea what Novig was before this controversy. I’m guessing most people reading this haven’t heard about them either. This ad makes people talk about them, and that’s all they care about. 

So if you truly care about women’s sports, stop giving Novig and Sweeney the platform they so desperately want. Instead, focus your energy on female athletes who deserve the attention that Sweeney is getting from yet another problematic ad.