Dodgers' Alex Call Appears To Slam Sydney Sweeney's Novig Ad as 'Soft Porn': 'Parents Shouldn't Have To Worry About This'

Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Call has called for 'soft porn ads' to be removed from Major League Baseball playoff broadcasts. He said he should be able to watch games with his son without worrying about unexpectedly seeing 'half-naked' women on screen.

Call made the comments on X on Wednesday, 14 October, during the Dodgers' National League Championship Series game. He was responding to a post criticising several commercials shown during playoff games, including Sydney Sweeney's controversial Novig advert.

Alex Call Slams 'Soft Porn' Ads During MLB Playoffs

'Can we please get the soft porn ads off playoff broadcasts, TBS, Fox, NBC, @MLB?' Call wrote. 'My son wants to watch baseball with Dada, but how do I justify that when a half-naked women could come on screen anytime?? This is America's Pastime. Parents shouldn't have to worry about this.'

Call's post came in response to Taylor Murphy, who had complained about watching the playoffs with children and listed several commercials he found inappropriate for family viewing, including Sweeney's Novig campaign. Although Call did not name Sweeney or Novig directly in his post, his response was made to a thread that specifically referenced the actress's advert.

Sydney Sweeney's Novig Ad Sparks Fresh Backlash

The Novig commercial in question is part of its 'Just Sports' campaign and features Sweeney minimally clothed and using footballs, basketballs, hockey equipment and other sporting props to cover parts of her body.

The advert promotes Novig as a sports-focused prediction market and has continued airing during MLB playoff broadcasts. The campaign has already drawn criticism from female athletes, who said it sexualised women in sport and shifted attention from athletic ability to appearance.

Four-time Olympic gold medallist Ariarne Titmus called the advert 'a kick in the face', while British sprinter Amy Hunt highlighted the physical strength and work behind women's sport. Gymnast Gracie Kramer also shared footage of herself competing alongside a message contrasting her athletic performance with Sweeney's advert.

The criticism has since broadened the debate over how women are portrayed in sports advertising, with some arguing that the campaign reinforces the focus on women's bodies that female athletes have long challenged.

Novig Defends Sydney Sweeney Campaign

Novig has defended the campaign, saying its purpose was to highlight the platform's focus on sports rather than make a statement about women's athletics. Sweeney is also more than a celebrity face for the campaign. Novig has identified her as a strategic partner and equity holder, while CEO Jacob Fortinsky said she was closely involved in developing its visuals and messaging.

'As a company, we're hugely supportive of women's sports,' Fortinsky said. 'We never intended to portray female sports.' He added: 'Sydney's an actress. We're a prediction market that is focused on sports, and that was the story she was communicating.'

Sweeney has similarly described the campaign as a 'fun idea' intended to 'cut through the noise' and focus attention on sports, saying it was created with 'confidence, humour and a playful edge'. The backlash has continued despite the defence. Sweeney released another provocative Novig advert in October, again appearing minimally clothed while promoting the platform, keeping the controversy in the spotlight.

Call's comments have now added a baseball-specific complaint to the wider backlash surrounding Sweeney's Novig campaign, broadening the debate to the type of advertising families encounter during major sporting events.