Summary: The Chicago Blackhawks become the first North American professional sports team to partner with a prediction market platform, marking a significant milestone for Kalshi and the sports industry.
A First-of-Its-Kind Sports Partnership
In a move that signals growing mainstream acceptance of prediction markets in professional sports, the Chicago Blackhawks and Kalshi, the federally regulated prediction market exchange, announced a first-of-its-kind partnership on December 23, 2025.
The agreement makes the Blackhawks the first North American professional sports team to collaborate with a prediction market platform, marking a significant strategic integration of emerging financial-gaming tools into fan engagement.
The partnership, which begins immediately, encompasses brand integration, cross-marketing initiatives, and heightened visibility for Kalshi within the Blackhawks' home arena and media ecosystem. Early promotional plans include:
• Shared intellectual property usage for co-branded marketing • Social media engagement campaigns • Kalshi signage at United Center events • Broadcast segment integrations across the Chicago metropolitan region
--• Expanding the Prediction Market Footprint in Sports
Kalshi operates as a federally regulated exchange under oversight from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), distinguishing its event contracts from traditional state-regulated sports betting. Users on Kalshi can trade contracts tied to real-world outcomes across categories that include political elections, economic indicators, cultural events, and sports-related events.
This model allows retail traders to buy and sell positions on whether defined events will occur, creating a unique intersection of financial markets and fan engagement.
The Blackhawks deal builds on a broader trend: the National Hockey League (NHL) itself has increasingly embraced prediction markets. In October 2025, the league executed landmark multiyear U.S. partnerships with both Kalshi and Polymarket, naming them official prediction market partners of the NHL.
That announcement positioned the NHL as the first major U.S. sports league to formalize relationships with prediction markets—a stark contrast to the NFL, NBA, and MLB, which have so far remained on the sidelines.
Within that context, the Blackhawks' agreement is both an extension of the league's strategy and a deeper integration at the team level. It demonstrates the NHL's and its franchises' increasing comfort with prediction markets as a form of fan participation and engagement.
--• A Centennial Season Boost for Fan Engagement
The timing of the partnership is especially symbolic. The Chicago Blackhawks, one of the original six teams of the NHL, are currently celebrating their Centennial season—marking 100 years since their founding in 1926. The club plans to cap its anniversary celebrations with a centennial game at the United Center in November 2026, making 2025–26 a year-long milestone in franchise history.
Blackhawks Executive Vice President of Revenue and Strategy Matt Gray emphasized the strategic alignment between the club and Kalshi's innovative model:
"Prediction markets are changing how fans interact with sports — moving from passive viewing to informed, engaged participation — and we're excited to be at the forefront of this transformation."
Kalshi's Head of Sports Partnerships, Adam Barrick, echoed this sentiment:
"We're looking forward to adding value to their fan experience as we continue to expand across sports, media, and entertainment."
--• What the Partnership Entails
Under the agreement, the Blackhawks will allow Kalshi to integrate the team's branding and logos in fan-facing contexts. This includes:
| Integration Type | Details | |-----------------|---------| | Digital Marketing | Co-marketing campaigns across digital and social media platforms | | Arena Presence | Advertising placements inside the United Center during home games | | Broadcast Integration | Brand mentions and visibility during broadcast segments |
Though financial terms were not disclosed by either party, the marketing and strategic value of such exposure—especially for Kalshi in one of its top ten U.S. markets—is significant. Illinois has been one of the more active regions for Kalshi trading volume, making Chicago a logical and potentially lucrative focus for heightened partnership activity.
The deal also paves the way for more interactive and predictive experiences tied to Blackhawks game outcomes and milestones. Observers speculate that upcoming Kalshi markets might invite fans to trade on such outcomes, further blurring the lines between traditional fan engagement and real-money prediction markets.
--• Looking Forward: Fan Engagement and Market Innovation
For the Blackhawks, the partnership with Kalshi is poised to enrich the fan experience during a landmark season, offering novel ways for fans to interact with team performance and broader sporting events.
Whether prediction market engagement will translate into measurable viewership increases, fan loyalty, or ancillary revenue streams remains to be seen. Yet the deal's historic nature and strategic timing have already captured industry attention.
From Kalshi's perspective, aligning with a storied franchise like the Chicago Blackhawks represents a validation of prediction markets' growing legitimacy within the sports ecosystem. It also positions the platform at the forefront of a potential wave of similar partnerships across professional leagues and teams.
As prediction markets continue to evolve alongside regulatory landscapes, consumer behavior, and sports media trends, the Blackhawks–Kalshi partnership could serve as a bellwether for future collaborations that fuse financial market innovation with sports entertainment.