An ex-executive from Fanatics has joined Polymarket, with the prediction market business deepening its sports betting experience as it accelerates its expansion into sports prediction markets.
His appointment was at the center of a legal standoff between Fanatics and Polymarket, an issue that has now been resolved, allowing Borod to finalize his move.
Borod to focus on sports fan experience
Ari Borod joins Polymarket from Fanatics, where he helped build a rapidly expanding sportsbook and betting infrastructure focused on integrated sports commerce and data-driven growth.
In a post on LinkedIn, Borod outlined his intentions at Polymarket: “Thrilled to share that I’ve officially joined Polymarket as President of Sports Business Development. As Polymarket continues to expand its global footprint, the mandate is clear: build partnerships that help bring prediction markets to the center of how fans experience the game.
“Scaling this category the right way is just as important as scaling it quickly. Excited to partner with (Polymarket CEO) Shayne Coplan and the team to help drive the next phase of growth.”
Borod most recently served as FanDuel’s chief business officer (2022–2026), after previously acting as chief commercial officer during a period of rapid expansion into betting and gaming verticals.
Before that, he was chief operating officer at The Action Network, overseeing daily operations as the post-PASPA sports betting market expanded state by state.
He began his career in the sector at FanDuel in 2015, rising from assistant general counsel to vice president roles spanning legal, business affairs, and fantasy sports operations.
Polymarket increasing traditional sports betting knowledge
It’s seen as a significant acquisition for the business, which is pouring a lot of resources into developing a deeper knowledge of sports prediction market space amid a shifting regulatory backdrop driven by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).
Over the past few weeks, the CFTC under Chairman Michael Selig has withdrawn a proposed ban on sports-related event contracts and signaled plans to write new rulemaking that would provide clearer standards for how these markets operate, a move seen as opening the door wider for sports forecasting products.
That shift comes as the agency reinforces its view that prediction market contracts are commodity derivatives under federal jurisdiction and not subject to state gambling laws, filing amicus briefs in court to support this position in disputes with state regulators.
But the legal landscape remains unsettled, with multiple state lawsuits alleging that sports event contracts are illegal wagers under local law and courts issuing injunctions in cases like Massachusetts.
That uncertainty has made sports a battleground in the broader effort to define how prediction markets fit into the U.S. regulatory system and is a key reason investors are backing these platforms now. They’re positioning for what could be a lucrative market if the CFTC’s jurisdiction is ultimately affirmed.
Fanatics sought legal route to block Borod move
A legal dispute between Fanatics and Polymarket over the Borod’s hiring has ended in a settlement, according to court filings.
Fanatics had sought a Florida court order to block Borod from taking a senior role overseeing sports partnerships at Polymarket, arguing he was bound by contractual obligations and had access to sensitive internal information. Borod countered that his contract contained no post-employment non-compete clause and that Polymarket did not directly compete with Fanatics’ core business. Both sides told the court in early February that they had resolved the matter.
Court documents filed during the case also shed light on Fanatics’ interest in prediction markets. In his submission, Borod said he believed founder Michael Rubin and Fanatics Betting and Gaming CEO Matt King had made personal investments in rival exchange Kalshi before Fanatics launched its own prediction-style product last year.
The filings further suggested Fanatics leadership had explored acquiring a designated contract market to operate exchange infrastructure in-house, though Borod said he had limited knowledge of those discussions.
The dispute reflects intensifying competition for sports fans as sportsbooks, exchanges and prediction platforms increasingly overlap.
Fanatics previously benefited from a similar executive hiring battle involving DraftKings, underscoring how talent moves can trigger litigation in the fast-growing sports gaming sector.
With the legal dispute resolved, Borod’s arrival gives Polymarket a senior executive steeped in traditional sportsbook operations at a pivotal moment for the industry.
As regulators weigh how sports event contracts should be treated under federal law, platforms like Polymarket are moving quickly to secure talent and partnerships that could help define the next phase of sports-linked prediction trading.
Whether prediction markets ultimately sit alongside sportsbooks or evolve into a distinct financial-style product remains an open question. But Borod’s hire underscores how: the race to capture the modern sports fan is increasingly being fought at the intersection of betting, exchanges and event-based markets.
