The Philadelphia 76ers have made NBA history, and not on the court. On Friday, October 30, the team announced a multiyear deal naming Kalshi as its official prediction market partner, the first NBA team to name one.
The deal comes days after the NBA itself struck league-wide agreements with Kalshi and Polymarket, naming them the league’s preferred prediction market exchanges, alongside an expanded DraftKings partnership. The Sixers are the first franchise to follow the league’s lead with a team level deal. Financial terms were not disclosed.
For fans, the partnership is built around content and giveaways. Kalshi will get in-arena advertising and placement across the Sixers app, mobile ticketing, and team digital channels. The team announced a Sixers Posters program showcasing digital artwork from Philadelphia-based artists, a virtual game called Beat the Pro in which participants compete against a member of the 76ers organization for a chance to win $76,000 through an on-court event, and chances to win free merchandise and concessions through the app.
As a launch offer, Kalshi funded postgame SEPTA rides for fans who attended Friday’s game against the New York Knicks. That was a one-game offer tied to the announcement, not a standing perk.
Sixers chief revenue officer of partnerships Owen Morin called it “a first-of-its-kind team partnership focused on delivering new content, creativity and engagement for 76ers fans.”
Not every fan is cheering. Some fans online criticized the announcement, with one calling it “disgraceful” and questioning leagues and teams getting into business with prediction market companies.
Prediction markets, where users trade on the outcomes of events from games to elections, have been moving fast into mainstream sports business this year. The Sixers just became the first NBA team to put its name on one.
