Soccer United Marketing, the commercial arm of Major League Soccer, announced a new multi-year partnership with Polymarket on January 26, naming the prediction market platform an Official Partner of Major League Soccer and an Official Partner of Leagues Cup in the United States.
Under the agreement, Polymarket becomes the Official and Exclusive Prediction Market Partner of MLS, the MLS All-Star Game, MLS Cup presented by Audi, and Leagues Cup. The announcement was released by MLS Communications and confirmed through Soccer United Marketing channels.
The partnership places MLS among the first global soccer leagues to formally integrate prediction market insights into its digital fan experience, according to the league.
Today Soccer United Marketing and @Polymarket announced multi-year partnerships with @MLS and @LeaguesCup that will offer new ways for fans to engage with matches and follow season-long storylines by integrating prediction markets into the fan experience. https://t.co/EYzJx98hcx pic.twitter.com/kMBU9rup1w
— MLS Communications (@MLS_PR) January 26, 2026
Focus on second-screen engagement and live match interaction
MLS and Polymarket said they will collaborate on new digital fan experiences across MLS platforms, with a focus on second-screen engagement during live matches. These experiences will reflect real-time collective sentiment around key moments, matches, and season-long storylines.
“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,” said Shayne Coplan, founder and CEO of Polymarket. “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.”
MLS Deputy Commissioner and President of Soccer United Marketing Gary Stevenson framed the deal as part of a broader innovation strategy.
“As MLS continues to grow, innovation remains central to how we engage fans and evolve the league,” Stevenson said. “Partnering with Polymarket allows us to integrate prediction markets as a new fan engagement format and position MLS as an early leader among global soccer properties.”
MLS Communications echoed that position in a separate statement, noting that the partnership will offer “new fan experiences” that integrate into live matches and league digital platforms.
Safeguards and integrity measures included
The agreement includes integrity protections designed to safeguard MLS and Leagues Cup competitions. According to the announcement, Polymarket and MLS will implement independent monitoring of trading activity and collaborate on market oversight.
MLS Communications said these measures aim to “protect the integrity of MLS and Leagues Cup matches,” as prediction market data becomes part of the fan-facing experience.
The safeguards arrive at a moment when prediction markets face heightened regulatory and public scrutiny in the United States, particularly in sports-related contexts.
Deal lands amid renewed U.S. momentum for prediction markets
The partnership follows a period of rapid expansion for Polymarket after regulatory developments at the federal level. Over the past month, the platform returned to the U.S. market after a pause of more than three years, following informal regulatory clearance from the Commodity Futures Trading Commission.
Token Terminal data showed that Polymarket’s 30-day cumulative trading volume rose more than 42% at press time. The platform also recorded one of its strongest weeks in history, with nearly $825 million traded during the same period that competitor Kalshi posted a record weekly volume of $2.15 billion for the week starting Jan. 12.
Polymarket’s recent growth coincided with new partnerships across media and sports, including Yahoo Finance, Dow Jones, the Ultimate Fighting Championship, and the National Hockey League.
Despite this momentum, the company has faced resistance at the state level. Several U.S. states, including Nevada, New Jersey, Tennessee, and Massachusetts, have challenged prediction market operators over contracts tied to sporting events. Platforms such as Polymarket and Kalshi have argued that the CFTC holds exclusive jurisdiction over prediction markets.
MLS exposure expands as 2026 season approaches
MLS enters the 2026 season with growing viewership across platforms. The league averages an aggregate of 3.7 million gross live match viewers per week, according to figures cited alongside the partnership announcement.
The timing of the deal also aligns with a broader rise in soccer visibility across North America ahead of the FIFA World Cup in 2026.
The new MLS season begins February 21 with 15 matches, including Los Angeles Football Club facing MLS Cup champion Inter Miami CF at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Additional marquee fixtures follow that weekend across Apple TV, FS1, and FOX Deportes.
Industry signal for prediction markets in mainstream sports
The MLS partnership marks another step for prediction market operators into mainstream sports ecosystems, alongside recent integrations into news content and search products.
In a post on X, MLS Communications confirmed the agreement and highlighted season-long storytelling and match-level engagement as key goals of the collaboration.
Kristian Koch
Disclaimer: All materials on this site are for informational purposes only. None of the material should be interpreted as investment advice. Please note that despite the nature of much of the material created and hosted on this website, HODL FM is not a financial reference resource, and the opinions of authors and other contributors are their own and should not be taken as financial advice. If you require advice. HODL FM strongly recommends contacting a qualified industry professional.
