Bettors are continuing to push more money into prediction markets tied to what NFL broadcasters say during games. Activity is now accelerating ahead of Super Bowl LX between the New England Patriots and Seattle Seahawks.
Key Takeaways
- NFL announcer mention markets saw sharp growth this season, with average stakes per game rising more than seven times since September.
- Interest continued to build ahead of Super Bowl LX despite objections from the NFL over certain mention markets.
- Prediction markets remained barred from Super Bowl advertising, even as the sector attracted major investment.
Data tracked by DeFiRate.com shows more than $47 million has been staked this season on announcer mention markets, a niche category where users trade on whether specific words or phrases are spoken on air, according to ESPN's David Purdum. The average amount risked per game increased more than sevenfold since September, climbing from under $500,000 early in the season to $3.55 million on the AFC and NFC championship games.
During the AFC Championship Game, more than $400,000 hinged on whether CBS announcers Jim Nantz and Tony Romo would say a specific term, illustrating how granular the markets had become.
Across the season, these markets attracted a wide range of participants, from casual traders placing small wagers to professional bettors using statistical models to guide larger positions.
The NFL publicly objected to some of the phrases featured in announcer mention markets, citing concerns over how the products intersected with game broadcasts. Networks did not publicly comment, but the growing focus on announcers themselves added another layer of scrutiny to prediction-based wagering.
However, interest showed no sign of slowing ahead of the Super Bowl.
Kalshi has opened a Super Bowl announcer mention market with 34 possible terms tied to NBC's broadcast team, while Polymarket has listed 27 options of its own. Kalshi offered similar markets across 64 NFL games this season, including conference championships, where bettors traded on whether announcers mentioned a wide range of words and phrases.
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Prediction markets face ad block during Super Bowl
The surge in announcer markets occurs alongside rapid growth across the broader prediction market sector. Companies including Kalshi and Polymarket raised significant funding over the past year, while traditional sports betting operators expanded into related products. Despite that momentum, prediction markets remain excluded from Super Bowl advertising.
Prediction market commercials are classified as a prohibited category for Super Bowl LX, extending a restriction that applied to NFL broadcasts throughout the 2025 season. While the full prohibited list was not public, it was known to include several controversial categories beyond prediction markets.
