Sportradar Signs First Official Data Deal With Kalshi, Bringing League Data and Integrity Tools to Prediction Markets

Sportradar Group AG has signed a multi-year global data and infrastructure agreement with Kalshi — the first official deal of its kind between a major sports data company and a prediction market exchange.

Announced on June 8, 2026, the partnership positions Sportradar as an official data and solutions provider for Kalshi, covering major leagues including Major League Baseball, the NHL, MLS, and the UFC. It also extends to Kalshi's brokers and market makers — a detail that signals something bigger than a standard data licensing deal.

"Prediction markets represent a compelling growth engine for the global sports ecosystem and Sportradar is uniquely positioned to shape and power this emerging sector," said Carsten Koerl, Sportradar's CEO. "This partnership with Kalshi marks a critical first step. We look forward to working with key prediction market participants as the landscape matures."

For traders and market observers, this deal is a concrete sign that prediction markets are no longer a fringe experiment — they are being built on the same data infrastructure as regulated sportsbooks.

What the Deal Actually Covers

The agreement bundles four distinct service categories under Sportradar's Prediction Services umbrella:

Official Sports Data and Live Odds — Fast, real-time official data and live odds to power both pre-game and in-play markets. This data feeds directly into trade settlement timelines, which affects how quickly positions resolve after a game concludes.

Fan Engagement Solutions — Dynamic real-time content including live scores, schedules, and data visualizations designed to improve the trading experience.

Customer Acquisition Solutions — Marketing services focused on reaching high-value sports fans and converting them to active traders on Kalshi.

Integrity Services — This is the portion of the deal that carries the most long-term weight. Sportradar will deploy two systems:

• Sportradar UFDS AI — an artificial intelligence platform that detects suspicious trading behavior in real time
• Sportradar Integrity Exchange (SIE) — a secure network that allows market participants to share integrity threats with each other

These are the same integrity tools Sportradar deploys for sportsbooks like DraftKings and FanDuel. Their arrival in prediction markets reflects the kind of institutional credibility that was largely absent from the sector eighteen months ago.

"The breadth and depth of this partnership is what makes it a big deal," said Tarek Mansour, co-founder and CEO of Kalshi. "We're using official league data to ensure quicker trade settlements, creating an overall better customer experience. We're also collaborating on an integrity monitoring program to further protect our users."

The Broker and Market Maker Extension Is Worth Watching

Beyond the Kalshi direct relationship, the press release includes an unusual clause: the agreement "establishes the ability for Sportradar to enter into agreements directly with Kalshi's key partners, including brokers and market makers, with real time official data and scalable solutions across the value chain."

This is not standard in data licensing deals. In the sportsbook world, Sportradar typically signs with the platform — not the ecosystem around it. Extending to brokers and market makers means Sportradar is positioning itself as infrastructure for the entire prediction market trading layer, not just the exchange itself.

Sportradar CEO Koerl called the Kalshi partnership a "critical first step" — language that suggests more deals with other prediction market operators or platforms are in active discussions.

For context, Koerl noted at Sportradar's first-quarter earnings in April 2026 that "talks with all the players in prediction markets are pretty intense" and that discussions were in a "very mature stage." The Kalshi announcement is the first public result of those conversations.

Which Leagues Are In — and Which Are Not

The press release explicitly lists four properties: MLB, NHL, MLS, and UFC.

The agreement also mentions "among others," leaving room for additional league coverage. But two major omissions stand out:

The NBA is not in the deal. The NBA's commissioner has publicly said the league is "still monitoring the prediction market space," and the league is the only major US sports property without a formal marketing or data deal with a prediction market operator as of this writing.

FIFA and the World Cup are also absent from the explicit list, even though the 2026 World Cup — the first prediction market World Cup at full US regulatory scale — begins June 11, 2026. Whether that coverage falls under "among others" or requires a separate agreement is not specified in the press release.

The gaps matter. When the Sportradar CEO says "we look forward to working with key prediction market participants as the landscape matures," those missing leagues represent runway for future deals.

Why This Mirrors How Legal Sportsbooks Got Started

Sportradar was founded in 2001 (NASDAQ: SRAD) and built its business by becoming the data backbone for the online sports betting industry. Before DraftKings and FanDuel were household names, Sportradar was already supplying them with real-time official data and integrity monitoring.

The same pattern is now playing out in prediction markets. Sportradar is entering early, signing the market leader, and positioning to extend to the rest of the ecosystem. If prediction markets follow the same arc as legal US sports betting — which went from legal in a single state in 2018 to a multi-billion-dollar industry by 2026 — Sportradar's early foothold becomes significantly more valuable over time.

The press release notes that "Sportradar will provide products and services to Kalshi and other licensed prediction market entities that operate in compliance with applicable regulations and legal requirements." That phrasing is careful but broad — it leaves the door open for future Sportradar data deals with Polymarket US, Coinbase, or any other CFTC-authorized platform.

What This Means for Traders

For active traders on Kalshi, the most immediate practical impact is faster and more accurate market settlements. Official league data eliminates the ambiguity of relying on third-party data sources for results determination. When an MLB game ends, the settlement clock starts the moment Sportradar's official feed confirms the final score — not when a scraper catches the scoreboard.

The integrity layer matters in a different way. As prediction market volumes have scaled dramatically through 2026, the surface area for manipulation and suspicious activity has grown proportionally. AI-driven anomaly detection running against that volume, combined with a threat-sharing network among market participants, is a qualitatively different approach to market protection than anything previously deployed in the space.

For new traders evaluating which platform to use, Sportradar's institutional endorsement of Kalshi is a signal worth noting. The same company that underwrites the data integrity of regulated sportsbooks has now staked its reputation on being the foundational data layer for Kalshi's markets.

The Broader Industry Signal

This deal doesn't exist in isolation. In the weeks surrounding the announcement, Kalshi and Polymarket have also been navigating:

• A preliminary injunction from Nevada's gaming regulators against Polymarket US
• A new lawsuit from New Mexico's attorney general against Kalshi
• A referral from the BBB's National Advertising Division to state attorneys general over influencer marketing disclosures
• Congressional pressure campaigns from both parties on insider trading enforcement

Against that backdrop, the Sportradar deal functions as a counter-narrative: prediction markets are building the kind of data and compliance infrastructure that legitimate regulated markets require. Sportradar's willingness to sign a multi-year global agreement — publicly, at the corporate level, with its name and NASDAQ ticker attached — is a credibility signal that no press release from Kalshi alone could produce.

Sportradar CEO Koerl framed it directly: "Prediction markets... foster collaboration with market makers and the broader marketplace. This partnership with Kalshi marks a critical first step. We look forward to working with key prediction market participants as the landscape matures, establishing the trusted, compliant framework for sports innovation just as we have successfully delivered in online sports betting."

The parallel to how legal sports betting evolved is intentional — and for traders who believe prediction markets will follow a similar growth trajectory, this deal is exactly the kind of institutional marker worth tracking.

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Frequently Asked Questions

What does the Sportradar-Kalshi deal cover? The multi-year global agreement gives Kalshi access to Sportradar's official sports data, live odds, fan engagement content, customer acquisition tools, and AI-driven integrity services across MLB, NHL, MLS, and UFC, with the deal also extendable to Kalshi's brokers and market makers.

Why does official sports data matter for prediction market traders? Official data from the league or its authorized distributor — rather than a third-party aggregator — creates cleaner, faster market settlements and reduces disputes about what the "official" result was. It also feeds into how quickly your position resolves after a game ends.

What is Sportradar UFDS AI? Sportradar UFDS AI is a suspicious-behavior detection system that monitors trading activity in real time. It is the same technology Sportradar deploys for regulated sportsbooks. Its deployment on Kalshi markets extends institutional-grade integrity monitoring to prediction market trading.

Which major leagues are NOT in the Sportradar-Kalshi deal? The NBA and FIFA/World Cup are not explicitly listed in the June 8 announcement. The deal covers MLB, NHL, MLS, and UFC, with "among others" language that could include additional properties. The NBA has publicly stated it is still monitoring the prediction market space.

Does this deal affect Polymarket? The deal is between Sportradar and Kalshi specifically. The press release notes Sportradar will provide services to "Kalshi and other licensed prediction market entities that operate in compliance with applicable regulations" — language that could encompass future agreements with Polymarket US (QCX LLC) or other CFTC-authorized platforms.

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Sources & Verification

• Sportradar–Kalshi partnership details and executive quotes: Sportradar Group AG press release via GlobeNewswire, June 8, 2026 — verified June 9, 2026
• Sportradar company background: Sportradar Group AG official site — verified June 9, 2026
• Kalshi described as "world's largest prediction market": Sportradar GlobeNewswire press release, June 8, 2026