The National Football League (NFL) has confirmed it will strictly prohibit sports prediction market platforms from advertising during the Super Bowl LX broadcast on February 8.
According to reports from Front Office Sports, these emerging platforms have been placed on the league’s prohibited advertising list, a roster that also bans firearms, tobacco, and pornography, effectively locking them out of the nation’s most-watched television event.
Contrasting Rules: Sportsbooks vs. Prediction Platforms
While traditional sportsbook operators like Fanatics, FanDuel, and DraftKings retain their ability to run commercials, prediction markets face a different reality. This distinction highlights the NFL’s cautious approach toward this specific vertical.
Jeff Miller, the NFL’s Executive Vice President, recently expressed deep reservations regarding these platforms in written testimony to the House Committee on Agriculture. He noted that the league is “particularly troubled” by the launch of these markets in jurisdictions without legal sports betting frameworks, citing a lack of integrity monitoring and problem gambling support.
Commissioner Roger Goodell reinforced this stance at a recent investor event, emphasizing that integrity remains “incredibly important” for the league. Goodell stated that the NFL intends to wait for clearer regulations and the resolution of ongoing litigation before engaging with the prediction sector.
League Cites Integrity and Regulation Concerns
Despite the national ban, the prohibition may not be absolute at the regional level. Local broadcast affiliates occasionally run distinct ad spots, potentially allowing prediction markets to find airtime in specific regions. Meanwhile, regulated sportsbooks are preparing for a massive marketing push.
Fanatics Sportsbook has already confirmed a halftime spot featuring Kendall Jenner, and FanDuel is expected to air commercials before kickoff.
The financial stakes for Super Bowl LX are historic, with NBC revealing that 30-second spots are costing up to $10 million. While the NFL maintains its distance from prediction markets, analysts at Citizens Financial Group forecast that these platforms will likely cannibalize some betting activity, predicting a 2% drop in legal sportsbook handle.
For now, the league continues to enforce a sharp regulatory divide, prioritizing its established partners over the burgeoning prediction economy.
