UFC and Polymarket Announce Strategic Partnership
The UFC’s parent company has formalized a multi-year alliance with Polymarket, a prediction market. This collaboration seeks to strengthen Polymarket’s presence in the American sports arena, anticipating its official launch in the United States. Prediction markets like Polymarket and Kalshi allow users to speculate on the outcomes of events, including sports. Unlike traditional sportsbooks, Polymarket can operate in all 50 states, even in those where sports betting is illegal. Currently available globally, Polymarket is expected to officially launch in the United States in the coming months. UFC will integrate Polymarket odds into its live broadcasts and display market activity during fights via a “fan prediction scoreboard”.Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket, highlighted in an interview the possibility of buying and selling during the fight, as if they were stocks, which will generate new interaction dynamics for users. Last month, the NHL became the first American professional league to announce a deal with prediction markets. The regulation of prediction markets is a controversial legal issue. Several state gaming regulators have sued Kalshi, a competitor of Polymarket, alleging that the company violates state laws by offering event contracts that simulate sports betting. Kalshi argues that it is not subject to state jurisdiction, but rather to the regulation of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, a federal agency. After observing the growth of prediction markets, FanDuel and DraftKings announced that they will launch prediction markets, including sports event contracts, in the coming months. This UFC association comes a week after betting suspicions triggered accusations of match-fixing in a featherweight fight between Isaac Dulgarian and Yadier del Valle on November 1. The UFC terminated Dulgarian’s contract and is collaborating with the FBI in an investigation into the unusual betting activity.By partnering with Shayne and his team at Polymarket, we are opening a new dimension of participation for the fans.
Ari Emanuel, CEO of TKO, parent company of UFC
