Polymarket partners with MLS to deepen fan engagement
Polymarket has signed a multi-year agreement with Major League Soccer to become the league’s exclusive prediction market partner. The deal also covers the Leagues Cup, MLS’s flagship international tournament.
The partnership aims to give fans new, interactive ways to engage with matches and season-long narratives, with a strong focus on real-time data and second-screen experiences.
According to Polymarket, the collaboration will introduce tools that surface collective sentiment around key moments, games, and broader storylines, offering a more data-driven way to follow soccer in the US.
A growing US soccer audience meets prediction markets
MLS and Polymarket say the deal comes as soccer continues to gain momentum across the US. With the FIFA World Cup set to take place in North America later this year, interest in the sport is accelerating among both casual fans and long-term supporters.
Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said fans are increasingly looking for deeper, more interactive ways to follow the game as soccer’s US audience grows and evolves. The company believes prediction markets can add context and engagement by reflecting real-time expectations around outcomes and performances.
Safeguards and integrity measures included
Both parties emphasized that the agreement includes safeguards designed to protect the integrity of MLS and Leagues Cup matches. These measures include independent monitoring of trading activity to ensure markets are not influencing on-field outcomes.
The partnership reflects a broader trend of prediction market platforms forming relationships with major sports leagues, media outlets, and technology companies, as the sector gains mainstream visibility.
Prediction market volumes surge despite legal pressure
The MLS deal comes as prediction markets continue to see record trading volumes. Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have reached new highs following recent regulatory clarity from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Kalshi reported a record weekly trading volume of $2.15 billion in mid-January, while Polymarket posted its strongest week to date with nearly $825 million in volume over the same period, according to Token Terminal data.
Regulatory clarity meets state-level resistance
Earlier this month, the CFTC issued a no-action letter to crypto derivatives exchange Bitnomial, allowing it to operate a prediction market and signaling a more permissive stance toward similar platforms.
At the same time, several US states, including Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Massachusetts, have challenged prediction market operators in court. State regulators argue that sports-related event contracts resemble unlicensed sports betting.
Kalshi and other platforms have pushed back, maintaining that prediction markets fall exclusively under CFTC jurisdiction rather than state gambling laws.
As legal debates continue, the MLS–Polymarket partnership highlights how prediction markets are becoming increasingly intertwined with mainstream sports, data-driven fan engagement, and the future of interactive entertainment.
