LaLiga signs Polymarket as prediction market partner
Table of contents
- LaLiga North America has named Polymarket its official and exclusive prediction market partner in the US and Canada, becoming the first European soccer league to strike such a deal.
- The multi-year agreement covers premium broadcast visibility, digital and social programming, club IP rights, and fan experience activations.
- A sports integrity framework underpins the deal, built on Polymarket’s platform developed with Palantir Technologies and TWG AI.
LaLiga North America has signed a multi-year partnership with Polymarket, the world’s largest prediction market platform, naming it the official and exclusive prediction market partner of the Spanish top flight in the United States and Canada.
The deal marks the first time a European soccer league has entered into a formal agreement of this kind.
Fan engagement drive
The partnership is framed as a strategic push to deepen connections with younger, multicultural audiences in North America, where multi-screen consumption and interactive engagement are reshaping how fans follow sport.
Boris Gartner, CEO and Partner at Relevent, said:
“Soccer’s growth, especially in North America, is spearheaded by young, diverse and multicultural audiences who consume the game across multiple screens, so it’s our goal to continue to engage these demographics in new and unique ways.”
“It’s imperative we go beyond traditional engagement efforts in order to bring these audiences closer to the beautiful game than ever before, and we couldn’t think of a better partner than Polymarket to achieve that.”
LaLiga North America is a joint venture between LaLiga and Relevent, established in 2018, covering commercial and development activities across the US, Canada, and Mexico.
Polymarket joins an existing regional partner roster that includes Walmart, Lowe’s, McDonald’s, and Verizon.
Rights and integrity
Under the agreement, Polymarket receives exclusive rights to use LaLiga and club intellectual property for matches covered by the deal.
Additional benefits include premium broadcast placement, digital and social programming, VIP match hospitality, and virtual meet-and-greets with LaLiga legends.
Integrity protections are central to the structure. LaLiga and Polymarket will collaborate on a framework leveraging the latter’s next-generation sports integrity platform, developed with Palantir Technologies and TWG AI.
Nicolás García Hemme, managing director for LaLiga North America, told Front Office Sports that no specific market types are currently restricted.
“There’s nothing specific on, no yellow cards, no penalty kicks,” García Hemme said. “It’s more, if we deem that something is not according to our guidelines, we have the capacity to limit or block this kind of option to do prediction markets.”
Shayne Coplan, Founder and CEO of Polymarket, said:
“Our goal is to give fans a more expressive way to follow the game, where opinions on players, matches, and season outcomes can be reflected in real time. Partnering with LaLiga brings that level of interaction to one of the most passionate global fanbases and introduces a new, more dynamic way for North American audiences to engage with the league.”
Growing sports footprint
The LaLiga deal extends a run of major sports partnerships for Polymarket. The platform has previously announced deals with MLB, the NHL, the UFC, and MLS, including serving as the exclusive and official prediction market for MLS Cup, MLS All-Star, and Leagues Cup.
Ari Borod, Polymarket’s president of sports business development, told Front Office Sports the agreement came together quickly.
“There’s a lot of investment in and focus on soccer in the U.S. right now,” he said. “LaLiga is one of the most iconic sports leagues on the planet.”
Borod, who joined Polymarket from Fanatics in February, has identified integrity as central to the platform’s long-term strategy, citing markets around injuries and off-field player matters as priority areas.
The North American momentum contrasts with Polymarket’s continued difficulties in Europe.
Romania’s gambling regulator ONJN rejected the platform’s appeal to be removed from its national blacklist. Germany, Belgium, Italy, the Netherlands, France, and Portugal are among the jurisdictions that have blocked prediction market platforms from operating.
For operators and investors, the LaLiga partnership adds further weight to the argument that prediction markets are becoming a mainstream commercial category in North American sport.
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About the author
Bianca Máthe
Bianca Mathe joined the iGaming industry in 2018 and has since built extensive experience across multiple verticals, working with international gaming organizations on editorial, marketing, and media strategy. She brings a strong understanding of the regulatory, commercial, and technological forces shaping the global iGaming sector.
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