The NBA could be the next major sports league to officially embrace prediction markets, with multiple platforms reportedly discussing partnerships ahead of the 2026-27 season. The league has circulated proposals to interested companies, and there are now "deal terms on the table." Kalshi, Polymarket, Novig, Fanatics and Rothera are among the platforms involved in discussions.
Nothing has been finalized, but sources expect the NBA to reach agreements before the season begins. Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour recently added to the anticipation, saying announcements should come "very soon" from at least one of the two remaining major leagues without prediction market partnerships. With the NFL reportedly staying out for now, the NBA certainly looks like the more likely candidate.
The NBA May Choose More Than One Winner
The most interesting part of these negotiations is how the NBA appears to be structuring them. MLB chose Polymarket as its exclusive prediction market partner earlier this year in a deal reportedly worth $300 million over four years. The NBA could instead divide its rights between several companies.
Potential rights being discussed reportedly include:
- In-game advertising
- NBA and team logos and trademarks
- Official league branding
- Real-time game statistics and other data
- Different partnership tiers for multiple platforms
One platform could still emerge as the NBA's primary prediction market partner. Industry sources expect that top package to command more than MLB's reported $300 million agreement, potentially pricing smaller platforms out of the most valuable rights.
Kalshi, Polymarket and Others Are Still in the Mix
Kalshi and Polymarket are the obvious names here, but this is not necessarily a two-company race. Novig, Fanatics and Rothera, the joint venture between Robinhood and Susquehanna, are also reportedly participating in negotiations. None of the companies have publicly confirmed the talks.
For Novig and Rothera in particular, landing NBA rights could quickly raise their profiles in a market where Kalshi and Polymarket already have significant brand recognition. A tiered structure could give several platforms something valuable without forcing the NBA to pick one exclusive winner. That makes this negotiation considerably different from what we have seen elsewhere.
Integrity Protections Remain a Big Part of the Talks
The NBA has not been discussing sponsorship money alone. The league has also pushed the CFTC for stronger integrity requirements surrounding sports event contracts. In July, the NBA said the regulator's proposed framework fell "well short" of incorporating several protections the league had requested.
That concern could help explain why negotiations have taken so long. NBA teams have already approached prediction market companies about their own partnerships, but league approval is unlikely until sufficient integrity protections are established. League-level agreements could open the door for individual franchises to follow.
Sports Partnerships Keep Getting Bigger
The NBA would join a rapidly growing list of major sports organizations working with prediction markets. Polymarket already has its MLB partnership, while Kalshi recently became the exclusive prediction market partner of the US Open. NHL teams and several MLB clubs have also reached individual agreements with different platforms.
What stands out is that ongoing legal uncertainty has not stopped these conversations. Kalshi continues fighting states over sports event contracts, yet major leagues and teams are simultaneously exploring increasingly valuable commercial relationships with the industry. Those two stories are developing side by side.
The Trade Handle Prediction Markets Take
We have been waiting to see which major sports partnership would come next, and the NBA could be the biggest one yet. A deal worth more than MLB's reported $300 million agreement would show just how valuable prediction market companies believe mainstream sports distribution has become. Multiple partnerships would make the announcement even more interesting.
The NBA also appears determined to set its own terms rather than simply copy another league's model. If it combines multiple platforms, official data rights, and stronger integrity standards, you could be looking at a partnership structure other leagues eventually follow.