Sportradar announced a partnership with Kalshi, which could see the prediction market operator integrate live esports streams onto its platform. 

As part of the deal, Sportradar said it will provide products and services to Kalshi. This includes live esports streams, which it distributes to partners through a deal with Oddin. 

Rival platform Polymarket already allows users to watch live esports matches. 

“The breadth and depth of this partnership is what makes it a big deal,” said Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour in a press release. “We’re using official league data to ensure quicker trade settlements, creating an overall better customer experience. We’re also collaborating on an integrity monitoring program to further protect our users.”

Legal Scrutiny Does Not Stop Deal

Sportradar is facing accusations that it makes a large portion of its revenue by supporting unlicensed gambling operators. 

Kalshi is also facing a series of legal challenges from authorities that allege it operates an unlicensed sports betting business. It has ongoing court cases in over 20 states and has been blocked in Brazil and Spain recently. 

The legal scrutiny has not dissuaded Sportradar from partnering with the company. 

“Prediction markets represent a compelling growth engine for the global sports ecosystem and Sportradar is uniquely positioned to shape and power this emerging sector,” said CEO Carsten Koerl. “Our partnership with Kalshi extends the reach of our premium sports data and services into a rapidly evolving landscape, fostering collaboration with market makers and the broader marketplace.”

Sportradar Stress Regulatory Compliance

Sportradar has defended against the allegations that it supports illegal gambling, insisting it only works with legal operators. 

“Sportradar works exclusively with licensed operators, follows strict global compliance, and due diligence standards, and we stand by our independently audited financial statements, risk disclosures, and information provided to investors and regulators,” the company stated.

Koerl also stressed the importance of prediction market operators holding valid licenses, noting that the deal with Kalshi could be the first of many in the industry. 

“This partnership with Kalshi marks a critical first step,” Koerl added. “We look forward to working with key prediction market participants as the landscape matures, establishing the trusted, compliant framework for sports innovation just as we have successfully delivered in online sports betting.”

Increased Integrity Monitoring 

Sportradar monitors for suspicious betting activity through its partners. The company flagged just 0.03% of the 100,000 matches it monitored last year as suspicious. 

The International Betting Integrity Association (IBIA) and the Esports Integrity Commission (ESIC) have flagged up several cases of match-fixing this year, however. 

It is unclear whether match-fixing is therefore increasing, decreasing, or simply being monitored more effectively. 

The companies said their partnership will lead to increased integrity monitoring. Kalshi has emphasized that it has a strict no-tolerance policy on insider trading and market manipulation. 

Sportradar said it will share its robust integrity framework, including its AI monitoring system, with Kalshi to assist the operator. 
As esports markets grow in popularity, more suspicious activity may be flagged. Last week, Kalshi saw $36.18 million in total contract volume across 408 matches. CS2 accounted for $23.7 million (65.6%) of that across 236 matches, according to data from Esports Insider.