Forbes announced on Friday the creation of ForbesPredict, a first-of-its-kind prediction platform developed with Axiom.
Key Takeaways
- The platform was developed to boost audience engagement and connection.
- Users will build their profiles by logging predictions related to real-world events.
- ForbesPredict will not allow customers to trade forms of currency.
Forbes’ announcement signals a shift in how it views its connection with its audience.
“The current reliance on traffic and clicks as a measure of impact is becoming obsolete,” the announcement reads. “The media industry is embracing audience engagement and loyalty as the new standards for success.”
The new trading platform will supplement news coverage with up-to-the-minute insights with probabilities of real-world events.
The difference between ForbesPredict and other mainstream prediction platforms, such as Kalshi, is that no money will be risked. Users will create a profile and add to their legacy with their record of correct and incorrect predictions.
“AI is fundamentally changing how people access information, and that shift is already starkly visible in publisher's traffic,” said Nina Gould, Forbes' chief innovation officer. “Our response isn’t to chase scale, but to deepen engagement. ForbesPredict gives our audience a reason to return, participate and invest their thinking - not just consume headlines.”
Enjoying Covers content? Add us as a preferred source on your Google account
Staying on front foot
Forbes’ aim is to foster a deeper connection with its audience. Allowing users to predict future outcomes enhances their experience by forcing them to digest and interpret Forbes’ news coverage, rather than simply reading it.
ForbesPredict will also keep Forbes adhered to its ambition to innovate while also giving the company great insight into its audience’s preferences.
“Innovation has always been core to Forbes’ DNA, which is why we built this product in collaboration with Axiom, so it was fully customized for our newsroom and audience at a pivotal moment for the media industry,” said Sherry Phillips, CEO of Forbes.
Phillips added, “We also think it will help to keep our newsroom informed of what our audiences are thinking on topics we cover, and we’re excited to see how that informs our storytelling.”
ForbesPredict would have required a CFTC-licensed designated contract markets and derivatives clearing organization to offer real-money trading. However, the company maintains its readers “aren’t there to speculate” and are instead there “to be informed.”
The ForbesPredict beta will launch in February. The official launch is expected to occur in the second half of 2026.
Prediction markets remain controversial
Providing the ability to predict without risking money, Forbes expects its platform to set a new standard for engagement across the industry.
This comes during a hairy time for U.S. prediction platforms. Although their popularity continues to grow rapidly, they were recently handed several key legal losses.
One of those losses came Tuesday, when a Massachusetts court granted the state a preliminary injunction against Kalshi, forcing the platform to close its sports event contracts.
Many other state regulators have also taken issue or entered into legal battles with prediction platforms, accusing them of acting as unlicensed sportsbooks.
