Fanatics Owns US World Cup Prediction Markets

This makes Fanatics more than a merch seller, it makes Fanatics a gatekeeper for one of the biggest sports trading moments in the U.S. in 2026. The key point is that FIFA gave global prediction market rights to ADI Predictstreet, but ADI could not directly serve the U.S. market, so Fanatics became the domestic distribution layer through its regulated Fanatics Markets product. That lets Fanatics own the official World Cup prediction experience in the U.S. while also selling shirts, cards, and event retail around the same tournament.1 2 3 4

• The exclusivity matters because U.S. event contracts are a regulated product. ADI became FIFA's official prediction market partner in April 2026, but Fanatics won U.S. pass through rights because Fanatics Markets already routes trading through Crypto.com's CFTC regulated exchange infrastructure.2 3 4
• This fits a broader pattern where Fanatics is stacking rights around the same fan moment. By December 2025, FIFA had also picked Fanatics as the official on site and off site retailer for the 2026 World Cup, covering 104 matches across 16 cities and Fan Festival retail as well.1 5
• Compared with platforms like Kalshi, the advantage is not just contract listing. Fanatics can place official World Cup markets inside an app tied to sports merchandise, loyalty, and other fan products, which turns a single tournament into repeated spending across shopping and trading.4 6

The next step is a more bundled sports wallet, where the same user shops before a match, trades contracts during the tournament, and comes back for collectibles and betting after it ends. If this works during the 2026 World Cup, Fanatics will have a template for turning official sports rights into year round transactional engagement.1 4 6