MLS Announces Multi-Year Partnership With Polymarket.

Roger Hampel

Image: Major League Soccer

Major League Soccer and its commercial arm Soccer United Marketing have announced a new multi-year partnership with Polymarket, appointing the company as 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 partnership positions MLS among the first major football leagues globally to formally integrate prediction-market insights into its fan engagement ecosystem.

Prediction Markets as a Fan Engagement Layer MLS

The partnership is focused on incorporating prediction-based insights and collective fan sentiment into MLS digital platforms. Polymarket and MLS plan to develop digital formats that reflect real-time market sentiment around matches, moments and broader storylines, offering fans an additional data-driven lens through which to follow competitions across MLS and Leagues Cup.

Innovation, Data and Integrity Considerations

MLS and SUM stated that the partnership includes integrity safeguards, such as independent monitoring of trading activity and coordination around which MLS and Leagues Cup markets are offered. These measures are designed to protect competition integrity while enabling new forms of fan interaction.

The agreement aligns with MLS’ wider digital strategy, which has increasingly prioritised technology-driven fan products, data integration and platform-based engagement alongside its centralised media rights model.

Strategic Timing Ahead of 2026

The announcement comes as professional soccer in North America continues to build momentum ahead of the FIFA World Cup 2026, which will be hosted across the United States, Canada and Mexico. For MLS and Leagues Cup, the partnership reflects an effort to capitalise on increased visibility by introducing new engagement formats ahead of a major growth cycle for the sport in the region.

The 2026 MLS season is scheduled to begin on 21 February, providing an immediate testing ground for new digital engagement concepts linked to live competition.

Executive Comments

Shayne Coplan, Founder and CEO of Polymarket, said:

“As soccer’s audience in the U.S. continues to grow, fans are looking for new ways to engage more deeply with the game. This partnership allows us to surface real-time collective sentiment around key moments, matches and season-long storylines, offering a more interactive and data-driven way to follow the sport.”

Gary Stevenson, MLS Deputy Commissioner and President of Soccer United Marketing, commented:

“As Major League Soccer continues to grow, innovation remains central to how we engage fans and evolve the league. Partnering with Polymarket allows us to introduce prediction markets as a new engagement format and positions MLS as an early adopter among global football properties.”