‘Deal Terms On The Table’: Inside the NBA’s Prediction-Market Talks
Multiple prediction-market partners are expected in time for this season.
The NBA is on track to have prediction-market deals in place before the start of the upcoming season, according to industry sources. Discussions with platforms such as Kalshi, Polymarket, Novig, Fanatics, and Rothera have been ongoing, and sources indicate that a deal term proposal has been circulated within the league. According to a prediction-market industry executive, announcements are expected before the season begins, and sources suggest that the NBA will not want the news to come out just before the first game.
Unlike MLB, which has a single exclusive prediction-market partner in Polymarket, the NBA is anticipated to have multiple partners with varying levels of rights. The NBA already has two sports betting partners in DraftKings and FanDuel, along with several authorized gaming operators like BetMGM, Caesars Sportsbook, and Fanatics Sportsbook.
Sources predict that if one company secures the title of the "official partner," it could command a higher fee compared to MLB's deal with Polymarket, which is valued at $300 million over four years. The NBA's engagement with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) regarding prediction markets has been ongoing, with the league acknowledging some positive aspects of the CFTC's proposal while noting that it falls short of incorporating the league's desired integrity-related protections.
Despite this, talks continue, and multiple sources suggest that deal discussions have persisted even after the Ninth Circuit ruling against Kalshi, which led New Jersey to ask the Supreme Court to address the issue of sports-event contracts.
Written by urgent.news from Front Office Sports's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
