Sports Illustrated is entering the predictions market space through a new partnership with UK-based media firm Galactic. The collaboration will launch SI Predict, a platform that allows users to engage with non-traditional aspects of sports events while avoiding direct wagering on game outcomes.
Unlike conventional sportsbooks that focus on spreads, moneylines, and totals, SI Predict will offer peer-to-peer prediction markets centered around lifestyle elements and entertainment adjacent to sports. The platform is positioned as a non-gambling alternative that still allows fans to showcase their knowledge and insights.
Examples of potential prediction markets include:
Whether a celebrity will attend a specific game
If a player will achieve a statistical milestone
Stadium attendance figures
Halftime show setlists or performance elements
"Sports Illustrated has always been about engaging fans in the stories that shape the world of sports," said Dan Dienst, Executive Vice Chairman of Authentic Brands Group and Chairman of Sports Illustrated. "With SI Predict, we're excited to watch Galactic roll out its platform to fans and enthusiasts and enable them to express their insights beyond the sofa or neighborhood tavern and engage passionately with a more global audience on the content adjacent to the sport moments they love."
The platform aims to transform passive sports viewership into an interactive experience, allowing fans to directly engage with and influence conversations around sporting events. SI Predict is scheduled to launch in the second quarter of 2025.
"Sports viewership is no longer a one-way conversation," stated Stuart Stott, CEO of Galactic. "Fans want to be involved, and they want their opinions to have weight. SI Predict revolutionizes sports engagement, transforming it from passive viewership to an active influential forum."
According to the companies, the platform will create a frictionless, intuitive user experience focused on fostering conversation, debate, and engagement without the complexities associated with traditional gambling.
While SI Predict will operate in the increasingly scrutinized prediction market space, the companies maintain that as a non-custodial platform (meaning it doesn't hold user funds), it doesn't require direct regulation from bodies like the UK Financial Conduct Authority or the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
This distinction comes as other prediction market platforms have faced regulatory challenges. The CFTC has been reviewing event contracts, especially after platforms like Kalshi introduced politically focused markets ahead of the 2024 U.S. presidential election. Meanwhile, the Nevada Gaming Control Board has barred Kalshi from operating in the state, citing violations of gaming laws.
SI Predict will utilize blockchain technology to ensure fairness and transparency in trade execution and resolution, but the platform has been designed with mainstream usability in mind. No prior knowledge of blockchain or cryptocurrencies will be required to participate.
"Built within a secure, regulatory-compliant framework, Galactic provides a trusted space for fans to participate in real-time predictions," the companies stated in their announcement. "While underlying blockchain technology ensures fairness and accuracy, the experience remains simple and intuitive, requiring no crypto or blockchain knowledge – ensuring that every sports fan can take part."
The launch of SI Predict represents a new direction for Sports Illustrated in the digital engagement space, following the closure of SI Sportsbook and Casino after Sports Illustrated's parent company, Authentic Brands Group, parted ways with 888 Holdings (now Evoke plc).
While sample questions for SI Predict include propositions that resemble standard sportsbook offerings, such as whether a quarterback will throw for over 300 yards or if the pole-sitter will win the next IndyCar race, the platform is framed as offering futures or event-based contracts rather than traditional bets.
This approach could appeal to a betting-minded demographic while operating through a decentralized, peer-to-peer framework that sidesteps many of the regulatory hurdles faced by traditional sportsbooks.