Arabic version: إعلان سوييني للتوقعات يثير انتقادات بشأن الرياضة النسائية

According to The Guardian, Sydney Sweeney’s campaign for a sports prediction market company has prompted criticism over its portrayal of women’s sport. The actor appears in the advertising campaign wearing little more than a bat and balls. The company lists Sweeney as a strategic partner and equity holder, the report said.

Olympic swimmer and four-time gold medalist Ariarne Titmus was among professional athletes expressing disappointment and anger about the campaign. “How do we live in a world where monetising a women’s body and sexualising women’s sport is still a thing?” Titmus wrote on Instagram, as cited by The Guardian.

The report contrasted the campaign with the growth of women’s sport, saying leagues are expanding while ratings and attendance are rising. Some teams have been valued at more than $500m, and female athletes have gained financial influence and larger social media platforms. It said companies entering the sector have a range of champions available to communicate their messages.

The Guardian described prediction markets as part of the broader sports-betting environment, where advertising, sponsorships and conversations are increasingly difficult for sports consumers to avoid. It argued that controversy around the Sweeney campaign could be intended to attract young men to open accounts, while athletes seek to challenge what they see as a regressive portrayal of women’s sport.