Polymarket Partners with Golden Globes: Bet on Award Winners in Real-Time
Hollywood's biggest night just got a blockchain upgrade. Prediction market platform Polymarket has inked a deal with the Golden Globes, letting viewers wager on winners as the ceremony unfolds.
From Red Carpet to Real Money
Forget office pools. This partnership brings decentralized finance directly to the Dolby Theatre. Fans can now back their predictions with real crypto, turning passive viewing into an interactive—and potentially profitable—spectator sport. It’s a masterclass in user engagement that traditional broadcasters can only dream of.
Why This Matters for Crypto
This isn't just about betting on Best Picture. It’s a mainstream stress test for prediction markets, proving they can handle high-profile, fast-paced events. The integration showcases crypto's utility beyond speculative trading, embedding it into global cultural moments. A cynical finance take? It’s more reliable than betting on a Wall Street analyst's price target.
The move signals a new frontier. As DeFi protocols court mainstream audiences, expect more legacy industries to embrace the transparency and engagement of blockchain-based markets. The awards season just found its edge.
Some X users bashed the Golden Globes collaboration with Polymarket
In his post, Coplan noted that there’s still plenty of work to do in helping people understand why market-based forecasts matter, even if their accuracy is hard to dispute. Nonetheless, he described the Golden Globes’ partnership as “a surreal moment and a highlight for all our team members’ moms.”
Some X users were genuinely surprised at how accurate the prediction platform was, with others encouraging more mainstream adoption. However, the integration also drew in a flurry of critical posts.
One user, Josh Billinson, remarked, “The Golden Globes Best Podcast odds presented by Polymarket are a new low for this humiliating awards show.” Another commenter urged the public to resist the prediction platforms, referring to them as “pocket casinos,” while others even questioned the legitimacy of the award show.
The criticism builds on recent concerns surrounding Polymarket and other prediction markets, after the controversial Venezuela-related bet. An anonymous bettor correctly called the Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro’s downfall just hours ahead of his capture and pocketed more than $400,000.
His earnings triggered concerns about insider trading. New York Democrat Ritchie Torres even proposed a 2026 bill that WOULD ban government officials and staff from trading on prediction markets using insider information. The bill, the Public Integrity in Financial Prediction Markets Act of 2026, would prevent officials from using nonpublic government information to place bets on prediction markets.
Several U.S. states are opposed to prediction markets
Currently, Polymarket is valued at approximately $9 billion, placing it just behind market leader Kalshi. Most top prediction markets experienced significant growth leading up to the 2024 U.S. presidential election and continued to perform strongly afterward. For instance, in December, Kalshi and Polymarket collectively accrued nearly $9 billion in trading volume.
Over the past few months, Polymarket and Kalshi have also partnered with several media organizations. Yahoo Finance has teamed up exclusively with Polymarket, whereas Google Finance will display information from both platforms. Moreover, CNN has partnered officially with Kalshi to integrate its data, and last week, Polymarket agreed to provide exclusive market insights to The Wall Street Journal and other Dow Jones publications.
However, the platforms have also faced resistance from U.S. states. For starters, Tennessee regulators issued cease-and-desist letters last week to Kalshi, Polymarket, and Crypto.com, targeting their allegedly unlicensed sports betting operations. The mandates require the firms to discontinue sports contract offerings, cancel pending contracts, and return all funds to customers by January 31.
Although registered with the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC), the state’s Sports Gaming Act requires any platform taking sports bets to have a Tennessee license, which none of the three hold.
At least 10 states have taken action against prediction markets over the past year, with Tennessee being the latest addition. Kalshi has previously received cease-and-desist orders from Nevada, Connecticut, Wisconsin, Arizona, Illinois, Maryland, New Jersey, Montana, and Ohio.
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