Actress Sydney Sweeney faced a strong backlash following her partnership with sports betting platform Novig. As coaches, athletes, and parents share their disappointment behind the marketing and target audience of this ad.
Emily Sevcik, a Humber Polytechnic alumna and former women’s soccer team captain, and was named female athlete of the year in 2024, says she did not think women were still being portrayed in a sexual way in sports advertising until she saw the campaign.
“When I saw that ad, I was really surprised that we were still living in a world where we are sexualizing women's sports,” she said. “It infuriated me, of course, and a lot of other athletes.
“Being a woman, playing sports for so many years, I would want them to see all of the hard work I’ve put into my sport,” Sevcik said.
She said women efforts to establish themselves in sports is much more difficult. Men’s sports have traditionally received more financial support and attention.
“As women, we have worked really hard for our standing in sports. A lot of money goes towards male athletes and sports,” she said. “For women it has been a struggle to build that from the bottom up, it is demoralizing and degrading,” she said.
She said the campaign could affect not only athletes but women more broadly, particularly young girls developing their identities. “If I had seen this ad when I was younger, I would have looked at myself differently,” she said. “ I was finding out who I was at that time.”
If she could ask Sweeney one thing about the campaign, Sevcik said it would be simply, why?
“Why would you agree to be in an ad like this? For young girls viewing this ad, did you think of them?" she said. Marian Martin, 22, a captain for the Humber’s women’s basketball team at North campus who moved to school to pursue opportunities in basketball, said the portrayal of women in advertisements such as Sweeney’s does not accurately reflect female athletes.
"It was just surprising to see, it didn't really advertise sports,” she said. “It was just a way of grabbing the attention of the audience and doesn't portray women in sports.” “Female athletes work so hard in sports but they are not recognized for their skills, (but) instead for their appearance,” she said.
If one of her team mates were struggling with insecurity, Martin said she would reassure them and encourage students to pursue their goals and become the best versions of themselves. She said having a women’s team can create an environment where athletes feel supported to develop their skills.
Tanya Buchhan, 56, a consultant with the Children Services Division of the City of Toronto, and former kickboxer with a brown belt in Karate, said she was disappointed when she saw Sweeney’s ad. Buchhan, who has two children, said her 20-year-old daughter plays flag college football.
I think this advertisement was directed completely towards men,” she said.
A 2008 University of Manitoba study found that 56 per cent of advertisements purposely embedded aggressive sexual themes to attract younger men. Although the study is almost two decades old, it remains relevant in 2026 as it shows how advertising has long used gender and sexuality to target specific audiences, calloused attitudes toward sex to hook the attention of younger men.
Buchhan said the advertisement was close enough to be categorized as pornography.
“It stagnates women in sports,” she said. “Sexualizing sports doesn’t need to happen.”
Buchhan said she remembers struggling with confidence and other issues common among young girls. “When I was a young, I always struggled with self-esteem, popularity and all of the typical issues that young girls struggle with,” she said.
Buchhan said women remain underrepresented in positions of authority in sports. “The majority of female sports are governed by men,” she said. “When I played sports, I didn’t have any women in my sports, it was a male dominated sport. I was always very excited to have female opponents.”
Buchhan said female role models in sports could have a better result on young girls in sport. “If young girls and young women had that female role model in sport, it would have a much more positive impact,” she said.
Buchhan said conversations about media portrayals are important for parents, although she believes many parents may not think about them.
“Having that conversation with my daughter, is informing her that this isn't a representation of women in sports, she said.” Having that same conversation with my son, to say this is not how you should be viewing a woman.”
She said she reminds her daughter of her strength and resilience to help keep her motivated.
