Contracts based on FutureSports Performance Indexes (FSPI) to offer new hedging vehicles for sports ecosystem, trading opportunities for institutions and individuals

CME Group, the world’s leading derivatives marketplace, and FutureSports, the new independent index administratortransforming professional and college sports statistics into rules-based, benchmark financial indexes, announced a long-term partnership through which CME Group will list futures and options on FutureSports Performance Indexes (FSPI).

Based on FutureSports’ transparent methodology and officially reported, league-approved statistical outcomes, the contracts will provide new hedging and risk transfer capabilities for the sports ecosystem and a variety of new trading opportunities for institutions and individuals. The first monthly and quarterly cash-settled FSPI futures will begin trading this summer, pending regulatory review, with details to be announced in the coming weeks.

“CME Group is where the world comes to manage risk, and that’s exactly what we’re bringing to the business of sports leagues,” said CME Group Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Terry Duffy. “The contracts we’re developing with FutureSports are built on rigorous indexes and backed by the transparency and integrity that only exchange-traded products deliver. This isn’t just a new product — it’s about bringing real price discovery and risk management discipline to an industry that’s ready for it.”

Leigh Taylforth, FutureSports Co-Founder, said: “We’re seeing incredible demand for these unique new contracts as hedging instruments from a broad range of potential participants, from stadium owners and operators, to sports sponsors and endorsers, insurers, sports apparel manufacturers and league broadcasting partners, among others. The ideal trading venue for these first-of-their-kind instruments on a $650 billion global industry is CME Group, where there is already a vast community of institutional market participants and liquidity providers eager to trade innovative futures contracts.”

Bob Fitzimmons, EVP at Wedbush Securities, said: “The FutureSports indexes take the insular world of the business of global sports and open it up to the global capital markets. What was once relegated to wealthy individuals and private entities now becomes a tradable financial asset that can be used as a risk management tool in the dynamic ecosystem that encompasses sports, media, entertainment, real estate and technology. We at Wedbush are proud to be a part of this burgeoning asset class.”

The indexes are administered by FutureSports, with methodologies designed to align with the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Principles for Financial Benchmarks and supported by published governance, oversight and methodology change procedures. The leagues serve as official data sources and do not participate in index determination or governance.

FutureSports will be announcing a series of exclusive partnerships with global professional sporting leagues, where team and athlete statistics will be turned into broad-based, continuously priced benchmark indexes.

Source: CME Group