CNN has entered an exclusive data partnership with prediction market operator Kalshi, integrating real-time probability data into its television, digital, and social coverage. The agreement makes Kalshi the only prediction market whose data will be referenced across CNN platforms and marks the company’s first major newsroom partnership.
The deal gives CNN journalists access to Kalshi’s live markets through a direct API connection, allowing probabilities on political, economic, cultural, and weather events to update automatically as trading activity changes. CNN plans to use the data during on-air segments, in online reporting, and across social channels, with a dedicated real-time ticker appearing during selected broadcasts.
For Kalshi, the partnership represents a significant step in its push to position prediction markets as a mainstream information tool rather than a niche financial product. For CNN, it adds a new data source designed to quantify expectations about future events in real time.
CNN integrates prediction markets into live coverage
Under the agreement, CNN receives backend access to Kalshi’s data feed rather than a static data license. The feed reflects prices formed by traders buying and selling event-based contracts, with prices interpreted as probabilities. For example, a contract priced at 60 cents implies a 60 percent chance of an outcome occurring.
CNN chief data analyst Harry Enten will lead the on-air use of the data. Enten is expected to reference Kalshi markets alongside polling, economic indicators, and other datasets during political and economic analysis. The data will also be available to CNN reporters for background analysis and fact-checking in written and social reporting.
CNN has said the partnership will cover markets tied to politics, public policy, economics, culture, and weather. Sports markets are not the primary focus of the CNN integration, despite sports markets accounting for a large share of overall activity on prediction platforms.
Kalshi has described the relationship as exclusive, meaning CNN will not integrate data from other prediction market providers while under this new partnership.
Why Kalshi’s market model matters
Kalshi operates a federally regulated exchange that allows users to trade contracts on real-world outcomes. Unlike sportsbooks, Kalshi does not set odds or take positions against customers. Instead, it matches buyers and sellers, with prices determined by supply and demand.
The company is regulated at the federal level by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission, which treats Kalshi’s contracts as financial derivatives rather than gambling products. This regulatory classification has allowed Kalshi to operate nationwide, including in states where sports betting is not legal.
Kalshi has seen rapid growth in 2025. The company confirmed this week that it raised $1 billion at an $11 billion valuation, its third capital raise this year. Trading volume has increased sharply in recent months, driven by political events, economic uncertainty, and expanding interest in non-sports markets.
By partnering with CNN, Kalshi gains visibility and institutional credibility at a time when prediction markets are under increasing regulatory and political scrutiny. Being cited by a major news network positions Kalshi’s prices as an information signal rather than a speculative novelty.
CNN leans into probabilities to frame uncertainty
For CNN, the partnership reflects a broader shift in how news organizations use data to frame uncertainty. Traditional reporting focuses on what has happened and what is happening. Prediction markets offer a way to express expectations about what may happen next in numerical terms.
CNN executives have framed the integration as a complement to existing analysis rather than a replacement for polling or expert commentary. The network has emphasized that Kalshi data will be one input among many, not a standalone forecasting tool.
The use of prediction data also aligns with efforts to increase audience engagement. Live probabilities update continuously and can be referenced repeatedly as stories develop, making them suited to rolling news coverage and streaming formats.
CNN recently launched a paid streaming product and has been reworking parts of its programming to appeal to digitally focused audiences. Real-time data integrations are part of that broader strategy.
Part of Kalshi’s broader media expansion
The CNN deal is part of a broader media expansion by Kalshi. Days after the CNN announcement, the company confirmed a separate multi-year data partnership with CNBC, set to launch in 2026. That agreement will place Kalshi data on CNBC television programs, digital platforms, and mobile apps.
Other media outlets have moved in a similar direction. Yahoo Finance recently integrated prediction data from Polymarket, while publications including Time and Sports Illustrated have signed data deals with smaller prediction market providers.
For prediction market operators, newsroom partnerships serve two purposes. They drive brand awareness among mainstream audiences and help normalize prediction markets as analytical tools rather than gambling products.
Regulatory pressure lingers in the background
The CNN partnership comes as prediction markets face legal challenges in several US states. Regulators in jurisdictions including Nevada and Connecticut have argued that event-based contracts resemble unlicensed gambling. Kalshi disputes that interpretation and has challenged adverse rulings in court.
The company maintains that it operates under exclusive federal oversight and that state gambling laws do not apply. The legal uncertainty has not slowed interest from media organizations, but it remains a risk factor for long-term expansion.
CNN has not commented publicly on the regulatory disputes surrounding prediction markets, and the partnership does not include direct links from CNN content to Kalshi’s trading platform.
Prediction markets move closer to the mainstream
The CNN-Kalshi partnership signals a shift in how major newsrooms may present uncertainty and expectations. Rather than relying solely on expert opinion or polling snapshots, prediction markets offer a continuously updated measure of collective belief, backed by financial stakes.
Whether audiences view those probabilities as insight, entertainment, or something closer to gambling remains an open question. For now, the deal places prediction markets firmly inside mainstream news coverage, with CNN becoming the first major broadcaster to give them a regular on-air presence.
As Kalshi pursues additional newsroom partnerships and news organizations experiment with new data formats, the boundary between financial markets, gambling mechanics, and journalism continues to blur.
References
- Yogonet: Kalshi strikes exclusive prediction data partnership with CNN – https://www.yogonet.com/international/news/2025/12/03/116614-kalshi-strikes-exclusive-prediction-data-partnership-with-cnn
- Tribuna: Kalshi becomes CNN’s official prediction markets partner – https://news.tribuna.com/en/betting/news/2025-12-03-kalshi-becomes-cnns-official-prediction-markets-partner/
- Kalshi: Kalshi to become CNN’s official prediction market – https://news.kalshi.com/p/kalshi-cnn-prediction-market-partnership
- MoneyCheck: Kalshi becomes CNN partner – https://moneycheck.com/kalshi-becomes-cnn-partner-as-polymarket-relaunches-prediction-markets/
