Share 
The Athletic has reportedly scrapped plans for a broader sports betting or prediction-market partnership with Kalshi, a pullback that follows objections from unionized New York Times workers over journalistic independence.
According to reporting cited by the New York Post from Front Office Sports, The Athletic — which is owned by The New York Times Company — is no longer pursuing the wider tie-up. However, the outlet is still said to be in discussions with Kalshi about possible advertising and other commercial opportunities.
Union concerns centered on editorial independence
Unionized Times workers had urged management to reject any agreement that went beyond conventional advertising. In a letter obtained by Front Office Sports, workers said, “Any partnership between Kalshi and The Athletic would threaten our journalistic independence across the company.”
They also argued that, despite management’s position that The Athletic and The New York Times are separate business entities, the journalism and work of the two organizations are closely connected.
At the same time, a source familiar with the matter told Front Office Sports that the union letter “did not prompt or play any role” in the decision to abandon the broader arrangement.
Kalshi remains under legal scrutiny
The reported pullback comes as Kalshi’s sports event contracts face legal challenges in multiple jurisdictions. The New York Post report notes that New Jersey’s attorney general has asked the US Supreme Court to weigh in on regulation of prediction markets such as Kalshi and Polymarket.
It also notes that the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Nevada can enforce its gambling laws against Kalshi.
Kalshi did not comment on the potential partnership with The Athletic, but it did provide a broader statement defending its product: “Kalshi forecasts are generated by millions of people trading — no elite, pundit, or top-down editorial process stands in front of the crowd’s collective wisdom.”
For New York readers, the immediate takeaway is less about a change in state gambling law and more about how major media companies may approach commercial relationships with prediction-market platforms while those markets continue to face legal and regulatory pressure elsewhere.
—
Source: As reported by nypost.com.
