Kalshi Becomes Only Prediction Market to Crack World Cup Brand Power List

While the 48-team World Cup is driving historic trading volume on Kalshi, the tournament is yielding an equally critical win for the prediction market: a massive surge in mainstream brand equity.

YouGov evaluated more than 2,000 companies in its widely followed BrandIndex, identifying 48 brands that are notches ahead with U.S. consumers due to their World Cup tie-ins. Privately held Kalshi made the cut at No. 37, placing just ahead of Fox—the tournament’s primary U.S. broadcaster.

Kalshi is the only prediction market operator appearing on the YouGov list of World Cup brand beneficiaries—notably beating out every traditional sportsbook operator. YouGov’s analysis gauged the consumer metrics of BrandIndex members for 18 days leading up to the tournament and compared them against a window following the opening match.

Kalshi Brand Increasingly Visible

Heading into the World Cup, Kalshi already occupied a commanding position, controlling an estimated 90% of the U.S. “yes/no” market. Put simply, if a consumer can name a prediction market platform, Kalshi is almost certainly top of mind.

That visibility has crystallized into record trading volume since the tournament kicked off. While Kalshi has logged growth across its non-sports financial derivatives, sports event contracts continue to dominate the prediction market landscape. The World Cup has reinforced that trend, delivering several of the exchange’s highest-volume trading weeks on record.

These trading spikes are paying clear dividends in consumer perception. YouGov’s analysis utilized what it terms an Ad Impact Score (AIS), a metric “based on changes in Ad Awareness, Buzz, and Consideration, with extra weight given to Consideration.”

On the back of the World Cup, Kalshi notched an AIS of 23.4 and a consideration change of 7.4. That performance placed it just behind Doritos, while pacing ahead of household names like Denny’s, Mattel, and Western Union.

Why It Matters

In the investment community, high brand awareness is known as an intangible asset and intangible assets contribute to competitive moats — something Kalshi is amassing in the prediction market industry. Arguably, that’s an impressive feat for a company founded just eight years ago.

The gaming industry is home to some valuable brands and while it’s not clear if index providers will deem privately held Kalshi a gaming or financial services company, it’s the lone betting-adjacent name on the YouGov World Cup list and the fourth-highest-ranked financial company.