James, Messi back Polymarket; Antetokounmpo invests in Kalshi
LeBron James and Lionel Messi have partnered with prediction market platform Polymarket, while Giannis Antetokounmpo took a stake in rival Kalshi. The athlete deals were reported alongside news that the NBA has partnered with both platforms. Derek Jeter and Eli are also noted as having ties to the sector. No terms were disclosed. The athlete partnerships come as prediction market platforms compete for mainstream legitimacy and sports-world credibility.
The NBA partnerships James and Messi are amplifying give Kalshi and Polymarket marketing muscle no rival platform can match right now. That matters because DraftKings has already put prediction markets at the center of its 2027 growth strategy and can outspend on customer acquisition. Athlete faces on Polymarket and Kalshi turn regulated event contracts from a niche financial product into a consumer brand that feels familiar to sports fans.
The platforms that win this brand race will capture the retail volume state attorneys general are already trying to restrict. For the NFL, which remains the lone major league still resisting prediction markets, each new basketball star deal weakens its argument that these products are incompatible with sports integrity.