LeBron James, a lifelong football enthusiast, made waves when he announced his partnership with the predictions market operator Polymarket over Labor Day Weekend, hinting at further developments to come.
On Saturday, as Ohio State University kicked off its college football season, James shared a video on social media platform X revealing his collaboration with the controversial platform. Fans of college football witnessed Ohio State's dominant victory over Miami (Ohio) with a score of 56-3, while industry insiders speculated on which other athletes might join James in promoting Polymarket.
By Tuesday, those questions were answered as Polymarket released a flashy advertisement that quickly garnered over 15.5 million views on James' X profile. Following the lengthy holiday, the company unveiled a colorful 90-second commercial directed by Peter Berg, famous for the show Friday Night Lights. The advertisement showcased several celebrities, including Eli Manning, Derek Jeter, Richard Sherman, John Leguizamo, and Spike Lee, and coincided with the launch of Squads, a new social feature in the US Polymarket app.
According to Polymarket's press release, Squads will provide users a dedicated space to discuss markets, share predictions, and trade directly on the platform. "People are constantly debating what’s going to happen next with their friends and sharing predictions in group chats," stated Travis VanderZanden, Polymarket’s chief growth officer.
The advertisement employed slapstick humor reminiscent of classic Nike commercials from the '90s, aiming to engage sports fans. In a light-hearted scene at Polymarket headquarters, Manning made an impressive catch from a jugs machine, and James greeted him with a “Good morning, Eli” before Manning handed him a football outside an elevator bearing the Polymarket logo. Additionally, James shook hands with Jeter, the Hall of Fame shortstop, highlighting the New York Yankees' recent partnership with Polymarket, marking them as the first Major League Baseball team to do so.
While the exact cost of the advertisement has not been revealed, it can be reasonably assumed to be in the millions considering the expenses for a prominent director like Berg, along with additional production costs. In late August, Polymarket revealed its pursuit of a $21 billion valuation in a funding round led by Donald Trump Jr.’s 1789 Capital.
The investment in marketing appears to have paid off quickly, as Polymarket shot to the top of the App Store for free finance app downloads, outpacing competitors such as Kalshi and payment providers like PayPal and Venmo.
On social media, several participating athletes expressed their excitement for the campaign. Leguizamo humorously noted, “It’s live trading, you gotta stay on your toes,” while Manning teased, “Might have to put the pads back on.” Sherman playfully responded, suggesting they try it out on the field.
The upcoming 2026 NFL season is shaping up to be a competitive battleground for attracting sports betting and prediction customers, particularly in the wake of the historic PASPA decision. Traditional sportsbooks like DraftKings will offer sports-event contracts in major states such as California and Texas. Unlike regulated sportsbooks, prediction markets enable customers aged 18 to 21 to trade on sports-event contracts.
Craig Carton, a sports talk host with WFAN 660 AM, criticized the athletes supporting Polymarket, arguing that unregulated gambling markets lead to financial ruin for many Americans. Carton, who has spoken openly about his struggles with compulsive gambling, questioned when public figures might say no to such lucrative endorsements.
A recent Bank of America study indicated that households engaged in online betting have a median deposit account balance that is 59% higher than those who don't partake in such activities. As prediction markets grow alongside traditional sports betting, some observers have raised concerns regarding the blurred lines between entertainment and investment.
As the advertisement campaign kicked off shortly before the NFL's regular season opener on Wednesday, the Seattle Seahawks faced the AFC Champion New England Patriots in a highly anticipated rematch of last year's Super Bowl, where the Seahawks triumphed 29-13.
By 6 PM ET, Polymarket traders gave the Seahawks a 62% chance of winning the opener, while they assigned the Patriots a 39% chance. A $100 wager on the Patriots could yield a payout of $247.35.
James' previous partnership with DraftKings ended earlier this summer, as reported by Yahoo Finance.
