CBS News Designates Kalshi as Prediction Market Sponsor for 2026 Midterm Election Coverage

CBS News has partnered with prediction market operator Kalshi to incorporate its trading data into coverage of the 2026 US midterm elections. The collaboration, announced on CBS Mornings, positions Kalshi as the network’s official prediction market sponsor. Anthony Salvanto, executive director of elections and surveys at CBS News, outlined plans to blend the exchange’s forecasts with the broadcaster’s polling, models, and political reporting.

Salvanto emphasized that the two tools measure separate elements and should not be treated as interchangeable. “Polls give Americans a way to express how they feel,” Salvanto said. “They are not predictions of what will happen in November.” He compared prediction markets to stock trading, where participants buy and sell contracts based on their assessments of candidate or party prospects. CBS illustrated the approach with Kalshi probabilities on congressional control and specific races.

At the time of the announcement, Kalshi assigned Democrats a 63% chance of Senate control and a 91% chance of retaining the House. The Texas Senate contest between James Talarico and Ken Paxton had generated more than $16.4 million in trading volume, with Talarico holding a 62% implied probability. The Maine Senate race involving incumbent Susan Collins and challenger Troy Jackson showed over $10.9 million in volume and a 59% chance for Jackson.

Tarek Mansour, Kalshi Chief Executive Officer, said the partnership gives audiences access to continuously updated forecasts. “Markets aggregate beliefs from millions of Americans and force ideas from all sides to compete in the open, driven by a simple and transparent incentive: to be right,” Mansour said.

Kalshi’s Growing Media Relationships

The CBS agreement extends Kalshi’s network of media ties. The platform became CNN’s official prediction market partner in December 2025. CNBC followed with a multiyear exclusive arrangement covering television, digital, and subscription products. The Associated Press agreed in March to supply Kalshi with official vote counts and race calls for national and state contests. Reports have also referenced connections to Fox News Media. In July, Kalshi launched an online midterm hub that combines market pricing with polling, fundraising, and historical data.

Media Adoption and Regulatory Boundaries

This latest partnership surfaces as prediction markets draw closer regulatory examination. Kalshi operates as a designated contract market under Commodity Futures Trading Commission oversight, a position enabled by a 2024 federal court ruling that permitted election-related contracts. The CFTC issued an enforcement advisory in February 2026 addressing fraud and misuse of nonpublic information. It has since forwarded two rulemaking proposals to the White House that seek to classify which event contracts qualify as swaps and how casino-style products should be treated.

According to World Casino News, the media expansions occur precisely as federal authorities work to draw clearer lines between regulated event contracts and gambling. The developments confer greater visibility on prediction markets in mainstream election coverage. Yet the ultimate scope of allowable contracts will turn on how regulators distinguish these products, particularly as operators move into sports and additional categories. Media partners and market operators will track the White House review for its effect on contract viability and liquidity.

Reporting: World Casino News

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