TLDR
- The NFL has confirmed it bans all prediction market advertising during its games, in stadiums, and through club deals or player endorsements.
- Sportsbook partners like DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics can only advertise approved sportsbook products, not general company branding.
- The policy had previously only been reported anonymously by Front Office Sports in January.
- Other major leagues including the NHL, MLB, and MLS have signed deals with prediction market platforms Kalshi and Polymarket.
- The NFL has separately told regulators that proposed prediction market rules fall short of its standards.
The NFL has confirmed it bans all prediction market advertising during its games. The policy also covers in-stadium signage, club sponsorships, and player endorsements.
This marks the first time the league has put the policy on the record. Previously, the rule was known only through an anonymously sourced report.
NFL director of communications Tim Schlittner confirmed the ban in emailed comments. He said the prohibition applies across every part of NFL game presentation.
“This prohibition extends to in-stadium signage, club sponsorships, and player endorsements,” Schlittner said.
What Sportsbook Partners Can and Cannot Advertise
The league also outlined rules for the sportsbooks it does allow to advertise during games. Partners must promote one approved product only.
“They cannot do general advertising. They cannot advertise prediction markets,” Schlittner said. Partners must also license official league data as part of its game integrity protocols.
This detail matters because all three of the NFL’s new official sportsbook partners also run prediction markets. DraftKings, FanDuel, and Fanatics signed multiyear deals with the league on August 27.
Those deals grant official data access, in-game advertising rights, and use of league marks. The rights do not extend to the companies’ prediction market products.
DraftKings launched a brand campaign called “Take Your Game Anywhere” on August 31. The campaign promotes the company’s availability across all 50 states through both its sportsbook and prediction products.
DraftKings said this campaign does not air during NFL game windows. Stephen Miraglia, the company’s senior director of communications, said all advertising shown during NFL programming follows league guidelines.
Miraglia said the creative that runs during NFL games has been approved by the league directly. Outside those windows, the nationwide campaign can air freely.
DraftKings also ran a separate Predictions campaign in California, Texas, Georgia, and Florida on August 25. Miraglia said the league was not consulted because the campaign was never intended for NFL broadcasts.
How the NFL’s Position Compares to Other Leagues
The NFL stands apart from other major sports leagues on this issue. The NHL signed deals with both Kalshi and Polymarket at the league level last October.
Major League Baseball named Polymarket its official prediction market partner in March. Major League Soccer made a similar move in January.
Kalshi has also signed deals with five individual MLB clubs. Those deals include stadium signage, radio spots, and naming rights for a bar at Dodger Stadium.
The NBA has not signed any prediction market deals so far.
The NFL’s advertising stance lines up with its regulatory position. In July, the league told the Commodity Futures Trading Commission that proposed prediction market rules fall short of what is needed.
On September 3, NFL chief compliance officer Sabrina Perel sent another letter to exchanges regarding contracts the league considers objectionable.
Two questions remain unanswered by the league. It has not confirmed whether a formal list of prohibited advertising categories exists, and it has not explained exactly how a sportsbook product becomes approved for NFL advertising.
