The FIFA World Cup is still raging on, and while fans from all around the globe are filling up stadiums in North America with their roars and cheers, some are buying a lot of sports contracts on prediction markets. For this reason, platforms such as Kalshi and Polymarket have seen a huge surge in mainstream popularity. In fact, the former ranked among the top 48 brands that gained the most consumer momentum during the World Cup, according to the YouGov BrandIndex.
Kalshi Placed 37 on the YouGov BrandIndex
YouGov analyzed more than 2,000 companies in its widely followed BrandIndex to identify the 48 brands that saw the strongest gains in consumer momentum tied to the World Cup. Kalshi ranked No. 37, placing just ahead of Fox, the tournament’s primary US broadcaster.
Notably, Kalshi was the only prediction market operator to make the list, outperforming every traditional sportsbook, as well as other prediction market competitors like Polymarket. The rankings were based on changes in BrandIndex consumer metrics, comparing the 18 days leading up to the tournament with the period following the opening match.
Heading into the World Cup, Kalshi already held a commanding position, accounting for an estimated 90% of the US yes/no prediction market. That leadership has translated into record trading volume since the tournament began. Although Kalshi has continued to expand its non-sports financial derivatives business, sports event contracts remain the primary driver of activity on the exchange. The World Cup has reinforced that trend, producing several of Kalshi’s highest-volume trading weeks on record.
An Impressive Result for Such a Young Company
Among investors, strong brand awareness is often viewed as a valuable intangible asset. Kalshi appears to be building exactly that within the prediction market industry, an impressive achievement for a company founded just eight years ago.
The YouGov rankings also underscore that official sponsorship is no longer the only path to meaningful consumer impact. Some of the strongest gains came from brands that became part of fans’ everyday World Cup experience, such as what they drink, snack on, wear, collect, watch, and play.
The gambling industry is home to some of the world’s most valuable brands, and many of them have had a huge boost thanks to the FIFA World Cup event. While it remains unclear whether index providers will ultimately classify privately held Kalshi as a gambling or financial services company, it stands out as the only betting-adjacent brand on YouGov’s World Cup list. It also ranked as the fourth-highest financial services company among the 48 brands recognized, showing just how much Kalshi has grown over the years, despite the trepidation and issues surrounding it.
Speaking of which, Kalshi was banned in Michigan last week as the state became the second in the country to do so.