Polymarket signs multi-year partnership deal with UFC as prediction market integrations stack up

Polymarket and TKO Group Holdings announced a multi-year partnership on Thursday for the prediction platform to become the exclusive partner of UFC and Zuffa Boxing.

The agreement will see the sports organizations integrate prediction market technology "directly into the live fan experience," to complement, not compete with, regulated sports betting, the firms said in a statement.

Among the new features, Polymarket will introduce a real-time prediction scoreboard during UFC broadcasts, visualizing how fans around the world are forecasting fight outcomes as each round unfolds, designed to turn global fan sentiment into a data-driven narrative layer alongside traditional commentary, according to TKO.

TKO Executive Chair and CEO Ariel Emanuel said the partnership aims to "unlock a new dimension of fan engagement," transforming spectatorship into active participation.

The collaboration will also see the firms launch a social content series spotlighting potential post-fight matchups for top UFC contestants across its official social channels, aiming to create additional topical markets on the predictions platform. 

"Few sports generate emotion and debate like the UFC," Polymarket founder and CEO Shayne Coplan said. "By bringing prediction markets to the broadcast and arena, we're giving fans a new way to be part of the action — not just watching outcomes but watching the world's expectations evolve with every round."

Beyond mixed martial arts, Polymarket will also become the first brand partner for Zuffa Boxing, a new professional boxing promotion debuting in January 2026. The platform plans to feature "in-arena activations" and custom digital integrations across events, according to TKO.

Starting in 2026, all UFC and Zuffa Boxing broadcasts will stream exclusively on Paramount+ in the United States, a move TKO said will enhance accessibility for sports fans and Polymarket users alike. Emanuel added that integrating prediction markets with broadcast storytelling "helps fans interact with these events in real time."

Prediction market integrations on the rise amid quiet US relaunch

This latest deal comes amid a slew of new Polymarket integrations across sports, media, and finance in recent weeks, underscoring the platform's growing presence as prediction markets continue to gain mainstream traction. 

In the past week alone, Polymarket partnered with Google Finance and Yahoo Finance to display its probability data alongside market and economic coverage, and it has also announced collaborations with PrizePicks, DraftKings, and the National Hockey League.

Earlier on Thursday, Polymarket reportedly reopened its U.S. platform in beta mode, marking a return to the country after resolving a 2022 enforcement case with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission. The firm, valued at around $9 billion following an investment from Intercontinental Exchange, is also reportedly in talks to raise new funding at up to a $15 billion valuation.