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Read Full BioSouth Park aired an episode dedicated to prediction markets last night, and platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket embraced the free publicity.
The episode, “Conflict of Interest”, satirizes the emerging industry, which has effectively legalized betting on anything in the U.S.
Kalshi CEO Tarek Mansour posted a clip on X, celebrating the characters discussing social platform betting. He wrote, “Prediction markets are the next breakout consumer application of this generation.”
Mansour’s X page is now awash with references to the show, and he has also changed his profile picture to a South Park version of himself.
Polymarket CEO Shayne Coplan also reposted multiple screenshots of his company being referenced and wrote, “as a kid who used to spend all night on south park studios this is surreal.”
Some outlandish markets in the TV show include betting on whether Kyle’s mother Sheila will blow up a hospital in Gaza to betting on the gender of Trump and Satan’s baby.
The former references real markets on Polymarket that allow users to bet on airstrikes in the Middle East, as well as whether the U.S. will enter a civil war.
Polymarket also had a market on what would be said in the episode, with only the name of the company resulting in a winning prediction.
Additionally, Kalshi allows users to wager on whether South Park will be cancelled this year. It is currently a 4% chance, behind Late Night with Seth Meyers (12%) and Jimmy Kimmel at 11%.
Trump Jr. New Candidate to Lead CFTC?
Donald Trump Jr. also features in the episode as the head of the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC). The son of the President has not reached that position yet, but does serve as an advisor to both Kalshi and Polymarket.
The CFTC remains without a permanent chair as Donald Trump’s nominee, Brian Quintenz, faces increased opposition. The White House is considering other candidates to lead the regulator, although Trump Jr. has not been mentioned at this time.
While Kalshi and Polymarket celebrated the free publicity, other platforms, such as Crypto.com, missed out on mentions. The episode is further evidence of the growing popularity of prediction markets. Despite facing legal opposition, they continue to expand into almost any market, including sports, war, and entertainment.
