Lynnae is a journalist covering the intersection of technology, culture, and gambling. She has more than five years of experience as a writer and editor, with bylines at SlashGear and MakeUseOf. On the iGaming side,...
Read Full BioGet ready to have a side of tradable opinions with your financial news. And the main dish? A world where every headline becomes a trade. Sounds like something out of a Black Mirror episode, except this one is set to air on CNBC. It’s no longer just a thought experiment; it’s the business model behind a new exclusive partnership between CNBC and Kalshi.
On December 4, the network and Kalshi announced a multi-year deal that will integrate real-time prediction market data into its programming, including its TV, digital, and subscription channels.
Beginning in January 2026, Kalshi’s market-driven probabilities will become a part of CNBC’s business and finance coverage. Viewers will be able to monitor the Kalshi ticker and track shifting event forecasts as they watch popular programs like Squawk Box and Fast Money, providing them with an immediate read on how traders perceive critical political and economic developments as they unfold.
The move comes just days after Kalshi entered into a similar partnership with CNN, being named the network’s “official prediction partner.” As part of its agreement with CNN, Kalshi will provide real-time probabilities to support coverage led by CNN Chief Data Analyst Harry Enten.
With these two partnerships, Kalshi has positioned itself at the center of mainstream news consumption. While many observers have said that prediction markets are “just betting by another name,” Kalshi insists it is a federally regulated exchange for trading event contracts and that its business has nothing to do with gambling.
Kalshi Wants a Future Where Everything is ‘Financialized’
In a clip that went viral on X after being shared by More Perfect Union on December 3, Kalshi co-founder and CEO Tarek Mansour is seen speaking at the Future of Global Markets 2025 conference in November, saying: “The long-term vision is to financialize everything and create a tradable asset out of any difference in opinion.”
The overwhelming consensus on X was that tech should not be used for these ends, with some calling Mansour’s vision “casino capitalism,” where those with access to insider information always have the advantage, and others saying that everything will become a casino.
Mansour has repeatedly pushed back against claims that prediction markets are a form of gambling. In an April interview with Axios, he said, “I just don’t really know what this has to do with gambling…If we are gambling, then I think you’re basically calling the entire financial market gambling.”
He added, “In our markets, you’re trading in an open financial marketplace. You’re trading against other people. If you go to a traditional model, you’re betting against a sportsbook. They’re setting the odds, and they make money if you’re losing money.”
A new class action lawsuit filed in the Southern District of New York, which Kalshi co-founder Luana Lopes Lara called baseless and a “pure smear campaign,” disputes Kalshi’s assertion that it’s not a betting platform.
While it’s impossible to draw any concrete conclusions based on the limited public reaction from X or even a lawsuit, they do give us an idea of how Kalshi’s vision is being received by a vocal segment of the population.
Nevertheless, the company is pushing ahead with its strategy and thus far, has been successful. This week, the company announced that it had raised $1 billion, increasing its valuation to approximately $11 billion, more than twice what it was just two months ago.
Prediction Markets Could Change News Consumption
As the debate continues online, the company’s deals with CNBC and CNN put it one step closer to realizing its vision of a “financialized” future. Its partnership with two of the biggest names in the news helps lend credibility to prediction markets and place them firmly in the mainstream.
It’s a future where viewers won’t just watch the news, they’ll trade on it too. On CNN, viewers will see probabilities displayed alongside discussions of electoral scenarios, cultural events, and geopolitical risks. On CNBC, market reactions to policy developments and data releases will be visualized in real time, not just after they occur.
Both networks are marketing these partnerships as a way to help viewers by adding context to the news. With Kalshi tickers running across the bottom of their screens, viewers will have access to the collective wisdom of the masses, including the perspective of those with a vested interest in the outcome.
CNBC President KC Sullivan described it this way: “Prediction markets are rapidly shaping how investors and business leaders think about important events. Kalshi’s data will serve as a powerful complement to CNBC’s reporting and help people stay better informed about the world around them.”
Mansour echoed these sentiments, saying: “Kalshi’s data will serve as a powerful complement to CNBC’s reporting and help people stay better informed about the world around them…together with CNBC, we’ll bring accurate, market-driven predictions to financial reporting. It’s the next evolution: moving from data about what’s happening now, to real-time forecasts about what’s happening next.”
Critics don’t have a rosy view of prediction markets being integrated into news broadcasts. They’ve seen how sportsbook ads change sports culture, influencing everything from broadcast graphics to commentary and fan behavior, and wonder if prediction markets will have a similar impact on the news. Wherever one stands on the issue, for now, change is coming with uncertainty becoming a monetized form of content.
