New York Mets secures historic prediction market deal
The New York Mets and Novig are now exclusive market partners, marking the first partnership between Major League Baseball (MLB) and a prediction market operator.
According to Jacob Fortinsky, Co-Founder and CEO at Novig, the company’s mission is about “building the home for sports trading,” noting that partnering with one of baseball’s most iconic franchises brings that vision directly to fans in one of the world’s premier sports markets.
With this agreement, Novigano can increase its visibility through in-stadium signage, branded in-game moments, broadcast integrations, and original digital and social content. These triggers could extend to live prediction challenges, rewarding fans with digital badges, merchandise discounts, or exclusive content.
Today, major sports leagues are taking different approaches to prediction markets: MLB and the National Hockey League (NHL) have entered into partnerships, while Major League Soccer (MLS) and the UFC are experimenting. Meanwhile, the NFL remains cautious and is actively pushing against them.
Mets’ commitment to fan engagement
Mets President of Business Operations Lew Sherr emphasised the team’s commitment to innovation, saying the franchise aims to “be at the forefront of things that our fans are engaged in.” Additionally, fans will be able to trade outcomes of Mets games in real time. This also allows another participatory layer of engagement that reflects financial markets.
These digital campaigns may also promote predictions, leaderboard competitions, and behind-the-scenes content, putting prediction markets as a new form of sports literacy. Involvement could also connect to loyalty programmes, offering ticket upgrades, meet-and-greet opportunities, or even VIP experiences.
One of the many features includes inning-by-inning prediction. Fans could guess whether the Mets would score in the next inning, with instant leaderboard updates and digital rewards for accuracy. Moreover, dynamic fan leaderboards and live rankings are displayed on stadium screens or in apps, enabling fans to see top predictors during the game and encouraging friendly competition.
MLB’s previous prediction market agreements
MLB previously partnered with Polymarket as its exclusive prediction market operator and signed a memorandum of understanding with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) to share details about event contract trading in baseball.
Data-driven storytelling is used as the main focus of this approach. Platforms can show dynamic win probabilities, trade volumes, and shifting odds rather than just displaying scores. With these new aids, fans can visualise player performance, team momentum, and market trends, making the game feel like a live financial exchange.
Novig as MLB’s authorised prediction market
Now recognised as MLB’s Authorised Prediction Market, Novig can collaborate directly with franchises, leverage official league data, and participate in MLB’s integrity programme. Unlike traditional betting apps, prediction markets add interactivity, allowing fans to shape and interpret the story of the game in real time.
In June, the CFTC designated Novig as a designated contract market (DCM), authorising it to operate a federally regulated prediction market under a unified framework. But this designation requires strict safeguards. Market surveillance, anti-manipulation measures, and oversight of insider activity are among these guardrails, enabling Novig to set itself apart from traditional sports betting, which remains fragmented across state laws.
Strong enforcement remains essential to maintaining confidence in our markets, but our emphasis is on pursuing fraud, manipulation, and abuse–not punishing honest market participants for minor missteps that create little risk to market integrity and inadvertently regulate them… pic.twitter.com/yEqnCPDKNJ
— Mike Selig (@ChairmanSelig) July 31, 2026
Nationwide access and compliance standards
With 50 states available to Novig, the company is required, though, to uphold comprehensive compliance standards. This will ensure integrity and transparency in prediction market operations. Moreover, for the Mets, this signals a bold step toward reimagining fan engagement, mixing America’s pastime with the dynamics of modern financial markets.
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