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The Mets are looking toward the future both on and off the field.
The team announced a new multi-year partnership with sports prediction market platform Novig on Thursday, marking the first partnership between a prediction market and a team.
“We’re proud to be the first Major League Baseball club to partner with a prediction market company, giving our fans a new and engaging way to connect with the game,” Mets President of Business Operations Lew Sherr said in a joint statement touting the deal.
“Innovation is a defining characteristic of our business, and this partnership is another example of our commitment to staying at the forefront of the evolving sports landscape.”
Novig recently received a key designation from MLB to become an authorized league partner, which allows the platform to use official league data and become part of the MLB integrity program.
The company was founded in 2021 as a peer-to-peer sports betting platform by Harvard graduates Jacob Fortinsky and Kelechi Ukah, who serve as the CEO and CTO, respectively.
.@Novig has been named the Official Prediction Market Partner of the New York Mets 🍎
We’re proud to bring Mets fans a new way to engage with every pitch, every inning, and every game. LGM! pic.twitter.com/tXEbK3KeBS
Novig previously operated under a sweepstakes model and has since moved to a peer-to-peer prediction market.
The company received CFTC designation as a federally regulated prediction market in June, which will allow it to operate across the country instead of the limited number of states it currently serves.
That re-launch is expected to come later this summer.
Prediction markets have simultaneously been under scrutiny from some leagues and lawmakers, while others have embraced them.
The NFL has repeatedly pushed for tighter rules and restrictions on prediction markets to protect integrity, but this latest move by the Mets signals that the rest of the sports world is moving in the other direction.
“Our mission is to build the home for sports trading,” Fortinsky said of the Mets partnership.
“Partnering with one of baseball’s most iconic franchises allows us to bring that vision directly to fans in one of the greatest sports markets in the world.
The Mets are taking the plunge at the prediction market game. AP Photo/Eduardo Munoz AlvarezNoVig is not the biggest of brands in the prediction market space, as the market is largely dominated by Kalshi and Polymarket, though this is not the first time the Mets have taken a shot on a small player with big aspirations.
The Mets and SNY were previously branded by PointsBet, an Australian-based sportsbook that had launched in the States with much fanfare.
PointsBet was later bought out and absorbed by Fanatics Sportsbook.
The Mets did not respond to a comment request from The Post regarding the deal.
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