The Athletic and Kalshi are in serious talks for a sponsorship deal, sources tell Front Office Sports.
Multiple sources say The New York Times-owned sports outlet and Kalshi are in advanced talks. However, no deal is finalized, and The Athletic has actively held discussions with multiple betting and/or prediction-market companies since its deal with BetMGM expired earlier this year, one source tells FOS. The identities of others in talks with The Athletic were not clear.
Spokespeople for The Athletic and Kalshi declined to comment.
Kalshi has plowed forward with big media and sports business sponsorships and raised money at ever-increasing valuations as it battles a tempest of state lawsuits challenging its legitimacy. Regulators in New York, Washington, Nevada, Minnesota, and elsewhere have sought to stop Kalshi from offering sports-event contracts in their states. Meanwhile, the Trump administration’s CFTC—the federal regulator that oversees prediction markets—is adamant that platforms like Kalshi are permitted to exist and offer sports trading, and has sued states including Kentucky, Arizona, and Illinois for allegedly violating federal regulatory jurisdiction.
FOS previously reported that Kalshi was in advanced talks about a wide-ranging deal with Fox; less than a month later, that agreement was announced. The prediction-market exchange also has content integrations with CNN and CNBC.
