Historic Prediction Market Deal: MLB and Polymarket Join Forces
Major League Baseball (MLB) made history on Thursday by naming Polymarket as its official prediction market exchange partner. This marked the first such agreement between a professional sports league and the federal regulator, with a groundbreaking memorandum of understanding signed with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Under the partnership, Polymarket and its brokers will receive exclusive access to MLB marks and logos, official league data from Sportradar, and brand exposure across MLB’s digital ecosystem and live events. Front Office Sports reports suggest that the deal could be worth as much as $300 million per year over three years.
A key component of the agreement focuses on establishing a comprehensive integrity framework. MLB and Polymarket will work together to restrict markets that present integrity risks, such as:
- Individual pitches
- Manager decisions
- Umpire performance
The league will also share information confidentially with the CFTC to protect baseball’s integrity.
MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred emphasized that protecting the integrity of the game remains the league’s top priority. The partnership follows similar deals by Major League Soccer and the National Hockey League with prediction market platforms, as the rapidly growing sector continues to gain mainstream acceptance in professional sports.
Source: CNBC