NFL Announcer Mention Markets Draw Heavy Action Ahead of Super Bowl 2026
A new phenomenon has struck the prediction market industry: money is being bet on what the announcers will say during Super Bowl 2026.
More than $47 million has so far been bet on Kalshi's NFL ‘announcer-mention’ markets for the upcoming game.
In these markets, users bet on the likelihood that the play-by-play announcer or the analyst will say specific words. According to data, the average amount risked per game on these markets increased more than sevenfold during the season, rising from under $500,000 in September to $3.55 million during the AFC and NFC Championship Games.
The NFL has publicly objected to some announcer-mention markets, though broadcast partners have not commented. The focus on announcers has raised questions around broadcast integrity, but activity has continued to grow.
Heading into Super Bowl 60 between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks, interest remains strong among both casual traders and high-volume participants using statistical models.
Kalshi opened its Super Bowl announcer market on Wednesday, listing 34 potential phrases for NBC announcers Mike Tirico and Cris Collinsworth. Polymarket listed 27 phrases for the same broadcast.
Kalshi has offered announcer-mention markets for 64 NFL games this season, using roughly 130 different phrases, known as strikes. Some terms, including safety, appeared in every market and were spoken in all but one game.
Prediction markets expand
The surge in announcer markets comes as prediction market apps continue to fill gaps left by the absence of legal sports betting in certain states. The Super Bowl will be held in California, which does not have a legal sports betting market, but users are placing wagers on the game through prediction markets that offer contracts resembling traditional sports bets.
Kalshi has seen significant growth in Super Bowl-related trading. Before last year's game, the platform launched sports contracts and generated $27 million in volume.
This season, Kalshi has already recorded more than $150 million in volume on its Super Bowl winner market. Traders currently place the probability of a Seattle Seahawks victory over the New England Patriots at 68%.
Other major betting operators have moved into the space. FanDuel (FanDuel Predicts), DraftKings (DraftKings Predict), and Fanatics (Fanatics Markets) joined the fray over the past two months in states without legalized sports betting, including California.
The legality of prediction markets remains unsettled. Several states have taken operators to court, arguing the platforms amount to unlicensed gambling and clash with state statutes and tribal gaming agreements.
None of those efforts has forced a full shutdown so far, but the lawsuits remain active as prediction markets continue to expand around high-profile sporting events.
