By Grady Andersen, Staff Writer
Sydney Sweeney’s new sports ad is putting all the wrong attention on women’s sports when there is a gambling epidemic in sports.
On Sept. 7, Sports Prediction Market app Novig and actress Sweeney was a part of a PR campaign named “Just Sports.” In an ad that has since been highly scrutinized. Sweeney appears near-nude, using items such as footballs and partial sportwear to cover her body and hypes up Novig as only having sports predictions: “No war. No death. No politics. Just sports.”
In a world where both sports gambling and women’s sports are increasingly scrutinized, this is exactly what people need to attack.
Let me be clear: this ad campaign was designed to cause a stir. Novig hoped that by having such a scandalous ad, people would bring it up, it would go viral on X and people would talk about Novig. This has happened in spades, so the only winner in this situation might be Novig’s marketing department.
Now for the losers: Everyone else.
Let us start with Sweeney. During an interview with Variety in 2024, she said she felt she no longer had control over the way people talk about her body.
Staff Writer Grady Anderson illustrates how Sydney Sweeney undermines the achievements of women in sports such as those accredited to athletes like Olivia Miles.
“People feel connected and free to be able to speak about me in whatever way they want, because they believe that I’ve signed my life away … It’s this weird relationship that people have with me that I have no control or say over,” Sweeney said.
Now I cannot speak for either Sweeney’s financial situation or the amount Novig paid her.
What I do know is she is one of the more popular actresses in Hollywood, starring in “Euphoria,” “Madame Web,” “The White Lotus” and “Anyone but You.”
She has an estimated net worth of $50 million. I am not entirely sure she needed to do this ad, especially when she feels so discouraged that people only see her for her body.
Sports leagues, as a whole, are continuing to take hit after hit with gambling and prediction markets, so this is another hurdle for leagues to tackle.
It seems every three months, someone is either arrested or banned from competing: Chauncey Billups, Terry Rozier, Tupucita Marcano, Brendan Sorsby and more.
Not only that, but prediction markets can skirt regulations placed on traditional sports betting.
Also, several athletes, including LeBron James, are teaming up with these prediction markets to offer deals, something that is illegal in sports gambling.
And finally, women’s sports, Women’s sports are actively being used in a political game about whether trans women are allowed to play sports, this ad is the last distraction needed. Instead of celebrating Olivia Miles, who broke the WNBA rookie scoring record, people are talking about an advertisement.
Women’s sports are Billie Jean King beating Bobby Riggs. Women’s sports are Lisa Leslie dunking in 2003. Women’s sports are Serena Williams winning a Grand Slam. Sweeney should not be the person representing women’s sports.