Kalshi and Polymarket roll out celebrity athlete ads ahead of World Cup and NBA Finals

Kalshi has released a series of celebrity advertisements featuring athletes including Lionel Messi, Giannis Antetokounmpo and Luka Modrić as the prediction market seeks to capitalize on attention around the NBA Finals and the FIFA World Cup. The platform surged in popularity during the 2024 presidential election and now aims to broaden its user base through sports-related marketing.

Elizabeth "Zab" Johnson, a visual marketing professor at the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, stated that most wagers on Kalshi are driven by sporting events.

A Kalshi spokesperson said the World Cup was a natural time to roll out new campaigns given its cultural significance. The spokesperson added that the goal of the celebrity ads is to drive brand awareness and noted there is merit in having celebrities post because they have many fans.

Lionel Messi became a recent addition to Kalshi's roster of celebrity partners through a larger partnership with the Asociación del Fútbol Argentino.

A recent social media campaign features Messi along with Argentina national team players Nicolás Otamendi and Rodrigo De Paul, who have promoted Kalshi on their personal accounts. The ads display the Kalshi logo but omit the trading interface. Kalshi has also launched campaigns featuring Croatian soccer player Luka Modrić through a partnership with the Croatian Football Association, Milwaukee Bucks star Giannis Antetokounmpo and several other international soccer stars.

The platform recently struck a multi-year deal with actor Timothée Chalamet. Research published in 2023 by Johnson and another Wharton marketing professor found people are more likely to choose a product endorsed by a celebrity than by a non-celebrity. Kalshi competitor Polymarket plans to announce new partnerships soon.