Polymarket signs exclusive licensing deal with MLS, the largest US soccer league

Onchain predictions market Polymarket has signed another major sports licensing deal, this time with Major League Soccer, the largest professional soccer league in the United States.

Under the agreement, Polymarket will serve as the sole prediction market partner for the league, including for the MLS Cup, its major conference, and All-Star Game. The partnership will also yield new "fan experiences," like second-screen engagement during live games. 

The move comes amid a flurry of licensing deals for the leading predictions markets Polymarket and Kalshi, which are now sourcing their data to media firms, sports leagues, and search engines.

"As soccer’s audience continues to grow and evolve in the U.S., fans are looking for new ways to engage more deeply with the game," Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said Monday. "Through our partnership with MLS and Leagues Cup, we can surface real-time collective sentiment around key moments, matches, and season-long storylines, giving fans a more interactive, data-driven way to experience the game and engage with the world’s most popular sport."

Predictions markets are betting platforms where users can place wagers on the likelihood of future events. The data generated is valuable because, theoretically, the aggregated bets provide a less biased view of potential outcomes because there is money on the line.

Both Polymarket and Kalshi have signed deals with sports leagues and individual teams. The National Hockey League tapped both prediction platforms for multi-year licensing agreements, while Polymarket has also signed exclusive agreements with the Ultimate Fighting Championship and the New York Rangers.

In recent months, Kalshi's trading volume has pulled ahead of Polymarket, according to The Block's data, largely due to its relationship with Robinhood and sports betting offerings. 

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While the Commodity Futures Trading Commission has granted approval for prediction platforms to operate nationally, states like Massachusetts, Ohio, and Tennessee have specifically challenged sports contracts as unlicensed betting.