New York Mets Sign Novig as First MLB Team to Partner with a Prediction Market Company

The New York Mets have made history as the first Major League Baseball club to sign a partnership with a prediction market company, announcing a multi-year deal with Novig that names the platform the team’s Exclusive Official Prediction Market Partner. The agreement brings Novig’s branding into Citi Field and across the Mets’ broadcast and digital presence, marking a new front in how MLB franchises are engaging with the fast-growing sports trading sector.

Under the deal, Novig will be integrated throughout the Mets ecosystem via stadium signage, branded in-game activations, and the club’s broadcast and social media channels. Fans attending games at Citi Field can expect to see Novig’s branding on the outfield wall and other prominent spots around the ballpark, along with digital content and contests built specifically around the partnership.

Why Novig, and Why Now

Novig, founded in January 2024 and backed by Pantera Capital, has been building toward a nationwide launch as a federally regulated sports prediction market. Rather than operating as a traditional sportsbook that profits when customers lose, Novig runs a peer-to-peer trading exchange where fans are matched against each other and prices are set by the market itself. That structure, the company says, removes the incentive to root against successful bettors since Novig’s revenue comes from facilitating trades rather than covering losing bets.

“Our mission is to build the home for sports trading,” said Jacob Fortinsky, CEO and co-founder of Novig. “Partnering with one of baseball’s most iconic franchises allows us to bring that vision directly to fans in one of the greatest sports markets in the world.”

Lew Sherr, president of business operations for the Mets, framed the deal as part of the organization’s broader push into emerging technology. “We’re proud to be the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market company, giving our fans a new and engaging way to connect with the game,” Sherr said. “Innovation is a defining characteristic of our business, and this partnership is another example of our commitment to staying at the forefront of the evolving sports landscape.”

Part of a Bigger League-Wide Shift

The Mets-Novig agreement follows Novig’s recent designation as an MLB Authorized Prediction Market, which allows the company to use official league data and take part in MLB’s integrity program. That framework includes market monitoring, reporting protocols, and restrictions on markets considered a risk to competitive integrity, such as bets tied to a single pitch, an individual umpire’s call, or a specific in-game managerial decision.

This deal doesn’t exist in a vacuum. MLB itself struck a separate partnership with Polymarket earlier this year, giving that platform exclusive league-level rights, while individual franchises across other sports have already dipped into the space. The NHL’s Chicago Blackhawks partnered with Kalshi, and the New York Rangers signed a deal with Polymarket. The NBA hasn’t landed a team-level prediction market partnership yet, though Miami Heat star Giannis Antetokounmpo became a shareholder in Kalshi earlier this year — a sign that the intersection of prediction markets and pro sports is expanding well beyond just sportsbook advertising.

For bettors and fans tracking legal, regulated ways to engage with games beyond traditional sportsbooks, the Mets-Novig partnership is another data point in how quickly prediction markets are being woven into the fabric of professional sports — not just as a betting alternative, but as a fully sponsored, stadium-branded fan experience. As Novig prepares for its nationwide launch as a federally regulated platform, its debut as a professional sports team’s official partner gives the company a high-profile stage to introduce the model to a broader audience of fans who may be encountering sports trading for the first time.