Major League Baseball (MLB) has become the latest major North American sports league to enter the prediction markets sector.
The property has today – the 2026 season begins on March 26 – unveiled cryptocurrency-based prediction market firm Polymarket as its official prediction market exchange, while also announcing a memorandum of understanding (MOU) agreement with the federal Commodity Futures Trading Commission (which oversees the prediction market industry).
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Through the former tie-up, Polymarket now holds the rights to use MLB's official marks and logos on its sites, as well as to use official MLB data (to be provided by that league's partner in this field, Sportradar).
In addition, Polymarket secures brand exposure through the MLB digital ecosystem, and at MLB events.
MLB has said, however, that while Polymarket will have a range of exclusive rights, the league plans on having integrity-based relationships "with all other prediction market exchanges offering baseball contracts."
The two parties will also work to "establish a comprehensive integrity framework," while Polymarket will "integrate integrity controls into its US rulebook."
The MLB-CFTC agreement, meanwhile, entails those two organizations sharing information with each other around integrity issues in professional baseball, and around any related prediction markets.
Representatives from both parties will also meet on a regular basis.
Shayne Coplan, Polymarket's founder and chief executive, added: "By working collaboratively with Major League Baseball and regulators, we can create new ways for fans to engage with the game while protecting the integrity of the sport.”
Polymarket has significantly expanded its sports property partnerships stable in recent months.
In late January, the firm agreed a deal with North American soccer's MLS, while in November it teamed up with TKO Group, the multisport business giant, becoming the official prediction market partner of its UFC and Zuffa Boxing promotions.
It also has a tie-up in place with international sports streaming service DAZN.
Rob Manfred, commissioner of MLB, added: "Protecting the integrity of the game on the field is our top priority. By engaging in this community, we are able to work together to create clear boundaries with the goal of mitigating risk while providing fan engagement opportunities.”
Earlier this month, MLB renewed and expanded its long-running partnership with software giant Adobe ahead of the new season.
Through the multi-year extension, Adobe will work on digital fan experiences, providing solutions for MLB’s marketing, product, and content departments.
