Sydney Sweeney Draws Backlash

What happened

The facts the coverage agrees on, drawn from reporting across the political spectrum. Where the sides dispute something, it's attributed.

A Novig campaign featuring actor Sydney Sweeney posing nude or nearly nude with sports equipment went viral and drew backlash from female athletes. The ad promotes a sports prediction market and includes Sweeney saying it is about sports, not politics, wars or deaths. Images and video show her covering herself with balls, a racket, a bat and other gear. Critics said it sexualized women in sports. Sweeney later posted nude or nearly nude images of prominent female and male athletes. CNN reported the reel had more than 37 million views.

Both sides

How left-leaning and right-leaning outlets told this story, in their own coverage. Outlet names link to the article we drew from.

From the left

Coverage on the left framed the ad as harmful, not just controversial. CNN said female athletes saw it as hypersexualized and damaging for girls entering sports, while a critic said athletes want value for ability, not appearance. The Guardian argued the outrage looked built in and said prediction markets are cynical because many users lose money. MS NOW noted the dispute also spotlighted a regulatory fight between the Trump administration and states.

From the right

Coverage on the right stressed that criticism came from some athletes, while also focusing on Sweeney’s response. Fox News reported that the Novig sports trading app ad showed Sweeney mostly nude, with equipment covering her body, and that athletes including Ariarne Titmus and Amy Hunt objected. Breitbart News said Sweeney answered by sharing nude photos of prominent female and male athletes. Townhall argued the left had hurt women’s sports through transgender inclusion policies, while critics overstated the ad’s threat.

Coverage•15 articles — 8 left, 3 center, 4 right