On Nov. 13, TKO heralded what it termed a “first-of-its-kind sports partnership” with Polymarket, the controversial crypto-powered platform that treats news events as tradable assets. This deal promises to place betting center stage — in the words of CEO Ari Emanuel, “transforming passive viewership into active participation” — by integrating a real-time “prediction scoreboard” into the UFC’s octagon experience during broadcasts on Paramount’s streamer. (In August, the studio revealed a $7.7 billion rights pact.)
The timing wasn’t optimal. On Nov. 4, UFC boss Dana White confirmed an FBI investigation into the alleged fixing at a recent match after multiple online sportsbooks refunded bets following a fighter’s suspicious loss.
