Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder Alex Call has publicly urged Major League Baseball and broadcast networks to remove provocative advertisements featuring Sydney Sweeney from postseason telecasts, questioning how parents can watch games with their young children when racy commercials air between innings.
The controversy centers on a prominent sports prediction market platform called Novig and its marketing campaign featuring the 29-year-old actress. The promotional spots have appeared regularly during major playoff games, including the League Championship Series matchups broadcast across national networks.
While baseball traditionally markets itself as a family-friendly pastime, the commercial breaks during the current postseason have sparked sharp debate among fans and players alike. The friction point arrived when a fan posted a complaint on social media listing several controversial advertisements appearing during postseason games, which prompted a direct response from the Dodgers outfielder.
Alex Call Calls Out Networks During the Postseason
Call, a 32-year-old outfielder who batted .233 with 88 regular-season games for the Dodgers in 2026, took to X on a Wednesday night while watching the team’s matchup against the Milwaukee Brewers with his young son. He amplified an earlier viral post that criticized the advertising lineup during playoff broadcasts.
DODGERS BACKUP WANTS SWEENEY AD PULLEDAlex Call wants MLB to pull Sydney Sweeney’s ads for the sports prediction market Novig from playoff broadcasts, calling them “soft porn.” He says his son wants to watch baseball with him. Fox calls him a Dodgers star. He hit .233 this…
Can we please get the soft porn ads off playoff broadcasts, TBS, Fox, NBC, @MLB? My son wants to watch baseball with Dada, but how do I justify that when a half-naked woman could come on screen anytime?? This is America’s Pastime. Parents shouldn’t have to worry about this.
Photo: totalprosports.com
Alex Call, Los Angeles Dodgers outfielder, via X
The original social media post that Call endorsed had pointed to several jarring commercials running during games, including Megan Fox appearing in a red bodysuit for erectile dysfunction medication, an intense movie trailer, and Sydney Sweeney promoting sports betting in minimal attire. The user who started the thread argued that leagues struggle to attract younger audiences while airing adult-oriented commercials during family viewing hours.
Call’s post quickly gained traction, racking up more than a million views and striking a chord with other viewers who had noticed the tone of the commercial breaks. Hours after making the remarks, Call received a warm reception from fans at Dodger Stadium ahead of Game 3 of the NLCS, with several spectators rising from their seats to give him a standing ovation.
The Novig Campaign and Broader Athletic Backlash
The advertisements in question are part of Novig’s Just Sports campaign. Founded in 2021 by Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, the platform completed its transition into a sports-exclusive prediction market in August.
Photo: thebiglead.com
The first commercial, released on September 9, featured Sweeney posing without clothes while using athletic equipment like footballs, basketballs, tennis gear, and hockey props to strategically cover herself. A second promo video released subsequently showed her walking across a stage in white underwear before once again holding two footballs against her chest.
Female Athletes BLAST Sydney Sweeney After New Ad Campaign!
The campaign has drawn vocal criticism from female athletes and sports figures across multiple disciplines who object to the sexualization of women’s sports imagery. Four-time Olympic swimming gold medalist Ariarne Titmus expressed strong frustration on Instagram, questioning how society continues to monetize female bodies in athletic contexts. British sprinter Amy Hunt and former U.S. gymnast Gracie Kramer also criticized the commercials publicly, contrasting the ad’s imagery with the actual physical training and sweat of female competitors.
Beyond Call, other figures within the baseball community have voiced frustration with postseason television sponsors. Genevieve Albernaz, the wife of Baltimore Orioles manager Craig Albernaz, also criticized commercials running on streaming and broadcast platforms during the League Championship Series.
Broadcast Networks and Major League Baseball Face Scrutiny
Major League Baseball, along with its primary broadcast partners TBS, Fox, and NBC, has not immediately altered its commercial rotation in response to the athlete and fan protests. The ads have even appeared on physical billboards in prominent locations such as New York’s Times Square, keeping the campaign highly visible despite the ongoing public debate.
Photo: clutchpoints.com
While Sweeney has not issued a direct statement addressing the player backlash, she appeared to respond through indirect social media posts sharing covers from an annual body celebration issue. Meanwhile, as the postseason series continue between the Dodgers and Brewers, and the Guardians and Rays, questions remain regarding whether the leagues or networks will adjust their advertising standards to address concerns raised by parents watching the games at home.
