Polymarket strikes multi-year MLS prediction market partnership

Polymarket is moving deeper into sports, and Major League Soccer is the latest league to lean into prediction markets instead of treating them like an unwanted side hustle.

The onchain prediction platform said it has signed a multi‑year licensing deal with MLS, making Polymarket the league’s exclusive prediction market partner. The agreement also covers the Leagues Cup, MLS’s summer tournament that brings in clubs from Liga MX, and is pitched as a way to build “second‑screen” experiences that keep fans engaged while matches are happening.

Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said soccer’s U.S. audience is expanding and fans want more interactive ways to follow the game. Rather than presenting betting lines, Polymarket plans to surface real‑time market probabilities around key moments, match outcomes and season‑long storylines, essentially turning crowd consensus into a live feed. If you’ve ever watched a game with a stats app open, this is the same habit, just with prices instead of percentages.

The partnership arrives as North America gears up for the 2026 FIFA World Cup, a catalyst MLS expects will pull more casual viewers into the sport. Both companies framed the deal as a way to make prediction markets feel like an information product, not just a wager: a quick snapshot of what traders think is most likely to happen next.

It also fits a broader trend. Prediction market operators have been signing licensing deals that place their odds and data inside media coverage and even search tools, effectively marketing the product without asking fans to open a new app.

But the industry’s push into sports comes with baggage. State regulators have challenged sports‑event contracts in several jurisdictions, arguing they look too similar to unlicensed sports betting even when platforms say the products fall under federal commodities oversight.

For now, MLS is betting that an official partner is better than an unofficial one. And Polymarket is betting that soccer can be the cleanest on‑ramp yet for prediction markets to reach a mainstream audience.