American actor Sydney Sweeney has sparked controversy over the "sexualization of women's sports" after featuring in a provocative commercial for a sports betting platform.

Sweeney recently appeared in an advertisement for the U.S. sports betting company Novig. In the roughly one-minute video, Sweeney appears wearing almost no clothing, using sports equipment such as soccer balls, basketballs, and golf clubs to cover parts of her body while repeatedly saying the word "sports."

Female athletes who saw the ad have taken to social media, uploading videos of their training sessions, competition moments, and medal-winning feats to criticize the ad's intent and problematic nature.

Australian Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus criticized the ad, saying, "I can't put into words how angry I was watching this video. This is an insult to every woman who has dedicated her entire life to honing her craft."

British track and field athlete Amy Hunt told the BBC, "Sydney Sweeney, the true image of women in sports is muscle, hard work, sweat, blood, and tears," adding, "Being a female athlete is never about being pretty, glamorous, or sexy."

Australian world champion boxer Skye Nicolson pointed out, "This controversy isn't about criticizing women's appearances, but stems from mocking women in sports," adding, "There is a huge difference between 'looking sexy' by playing sports and using sex to sell 'sports.'"

Meanwhile, some argue that criticism should be directed at Novig rather than Sweeney. Ebanie Bridges, a former International Boxing Federation (IBF) bantamweight world champion from Australia, posted a photo on her social media superimposing her face onto Sweeney's ad, noting, "She is not an athlete, and this video is just an ad. Furthermore, that ad is promoting gambling, not sports."

However, Sweeney is not merely the face of the campaign; she is also a strategic partner holding a stake in Novig. Because of this, some view the situation as a deliberate move where "Novig and Sweeney knew that controversy and outrage would translate into money and exploited it." In fact, the advertisement surpassed 37 million views just four days after its release, and Novig's social media mentions surged ninefold. Consequently, the provocative and sensational advertising campaign proved effective with algorithms.

Sweeney is a rising actor in her twenties who shot to stardom through the TV series Euphoria and the film The Housemaid. She has previously courted controversy over past commercials. A denim ad released last year sparked white supremacy allegations due to copy that implied racism and eugenics.



(SBS Entertainment News, Reporter Kim Ji-hye)