NBA brings Kalshi and Polymarket into its official prediction markets ecosystem

Type: Distribution, prediction markets, official data and commercial rights
Sport: Basketball / NBA
Announced: October 2026

• The NBA has announced partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket, designating both companies as its Preferred Prediction Market Exchanges. The agreements give the platforms rights to use NBA intellectual property, conduct promotional activations and market their services across media channels in the United States. Both exchanges will also receive official NBA data through Sportradar, the league's Official Data Distribution Partner, to operate and settle authorised NBA-related prediction markets.
• The partnerships introduce specific restrictions on prediction market activity, including limits on permissible markets, prohibitions on league and team personnel trading NBA event contracts, and obligations to share information about suspicious trading and investigations. Alongside the commercial agreements, the NBA has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to strengthen cooperation and information sharing around market integrity.
• The NBA has also expanded its existing agreement with DraftKings to cover prediction markets and nationwide promotion. DraftKings falls under the league's Authorised Prediction Market Operator framework, while Kalshi and Polymarket hold the Preferred Prediction Market Exchange designation. The NBA expects to expand its relationships with other existing sports betting partners and prediction market operators in the coming weeks.
• “Protecting the integrity of the game is our top priority,” said Scott Kaufman-Ross, NBA Head of Media Distribution & Partnerships. “As this category develops, we believe it is important to work constructively with regulators and operators to help ensure that appropriate safeguards are in place. These partnerships represent an important step in establishing a framework that creates new opportunities to engage our fans.”
• Adam Barrick, Head of Sports Partnerships at Kalshi, described the agreement as a milestone for the exchange, highlighting fan engagement, innovation and safety. Ari Borod, President, Sports Business Development at Polymarket, said the partnership would allow customers to engage more deeply with basketball while supporting the development of a transparent prediction market ecosystem.

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