Kalshi, PolyMarket Become Official Prediction Market Partners of NHL

The NHL is breaking into the sports prediction market space. 

The country’s top men’s pro hockey league announced new partnerships with Kalshi and Polymarket today. The operators will become the official sports prediction market partners of the league, granting them access to proprietary data to help improve their offerings. It will also grant both in-game and on-screen advertising rights.

With the two deals, the NHL is the first pro sports league to officially add sports prediction partners.

Massive Win for Prediction Markets

While the NHL is the smallest of the US’s big four sports leagues, its deal with Polymarket and Kalshi is a massive win for the prediction market industry. It brings a new level of legitimacy to the controversial industry by recognizing it as an official partner, welcoming both into the world of pro sports.

The partnership will allow both operators to ramp up their brand exposure as FanDuel and DraftKings prepare to launch prediction platforms of their own. While Kalshi has already built a well-established reputation with NFL fans, the NHL deal unlocks a whole new market.

While the NHL doesn’t have much risk from making this deal, it shows the league believes the industry isn’t going anywhere anytime soon. 

NHL Deal Comes at a Perfect Time

The NHL doesn’t attract nearly as many bets as other sports, but it has been growing in popularity. Last year’s Winter Classic was a massive success, leading to eye-popping TV ratings and a wave of new fans. 

That momentum will continue to build this season as the NHL will allow players to represent their countries in the 2026 Winter Olympics. This will likely give us another chance to see a USA vs Canada match, along with the inclusion of many more countries with strong hockey programs. It’s the first time since 2014 that the Olympics will see each country sending its top players.

What About the Sports Betting Industry?

The NHL confirmed that its sports betting partners will remain in place, insisting this is simply an expansion. However, there is no guarantee that the balance will continue for long. If sports prediction markets manage to fend off mounting lawsuits to stop the industry, it could end up bringing in similar or even more revenue than sports betting.

If more bettors chose operators like Kalshi and Polymarket, the advertising opportunities for sportsbooks could dry up. That would be a massive blow as the industry attempts to stop prediction markets from rolling it over.