Genius Sports has recently announced partnerships with two US-regulated prediction market platforms, Polymarket and Kalshi, aiming to enhance the provision of official sports data. These deals signify the company's entry into the realm of prediction markets.
On Tuesday, Genius Sports revealed that it will provide Polymarket, which operates under the supervision of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), with real-time event data and league integrity services. The partnership also includes exclusive live streaming rights for select competitions, most notably Italy's Serie A, targeting US audiences, along with support for digital marketing through Genius Sports' media properties owned by Legend.
This collaboration facilitates the connection between the live streaming of Serie A matches and related real-time event contracts, thereby linking fan engagement directly to prediction market offerings. Polymarket indicated that this partnership allows sports leagues to monitor prediction market activities as they happen and to detect any unusual trading behaviors.
Ari Borod, Polymarket's president of sports business development, emphasized the importance of integrating live streaming, official data, and integrity infrastructure in creating a reliable product for customers. Sean Conroy, the Executive Vice President of rights and partnerships at Genius Sports, noted that as this category evolves, strong integrity measures are essential. He stated, "By bringing together official data, live streaming, league IP, integrity services and the reach of our Legend media network, we are helping Polymarket deliver a differentiated and trusted experience for sports fans across the US."
On Wednesday, Genius Sports announced a similar partnership with Kalshi to offer real-time data spanning a wide range of soccer leagues, including the English Premier League, Serie A, Liga MX, Argentine Primera División, and Ligue 1 in France. This agreement also encompasses marketing, media outreach, and integrity services, alongside participation in Genius Sports' information-sharing frameworks.
Adam Barrick, Kalshi’s head of sports partnerships, expressed pride in collaborating with Genius Sports, noting their strong reputation for delivering high-quality sports data and working with leagues to ensure transparency in competitions.
Both partnerships are effective immediately for qualified users in the US, marking a notable advance in the development of sports prediction markets based on official data and integrity controls.
Additionally, in June, Sportradar entered into multi-year partnerships with both Kalshi and Polymarket, and CEO Carsten Koerl expressed optimism during their Q2 earnings call regarding how prediction market contracts could enhance revenue for the data supplier. He stated, "With our premium content, global scale and unmatched product portfolio and capabilities, predictions market is a natural adjacency. It expands the US TAM by opening up new states, attracting new players and increasing engagement with sports."
This latest move comes on the heels of Genius Sports' acquisition of media technology platform Legend, valued at $1.2 billion, which included a $900 million upfront payment and an additional earnout of up to $300 million.
