U.S. sports company Fanatics is expanding into prediction markets.
The company, which is primarily known for its trading cards and sports collectibles, has agreed to buy Water Street Labs and CX Clearinghouse from BGC Group (NASDAQ: $BGC).
The deal gives Fanatics ownership of a federally regulated exchange and clearinghouse, which allows it to launch and settle its own prediction market contracts.
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Financial terms of the acquisitions were not disclosed publicly.
Fanatics can now list and clear contracts, giving it more control over the products it offers and how quickly it can bring new markets online.
Fanatics and BGC also plan to develop new products that combine prediction markets with traditional financial data, the companies said in a joint news release.
Prediction markets have become a fastest-growing area of financial markets. They let people bet on real-world events such as sports, elections, and the weather.
Currently, the prediction market space is dominated by Kalshi and Polymarket. Fanatics has said it wants to get in on the prediction market action.
Other companies are also growing their presence in the prediction market sector, including crypto exchanges Coinbase (NASDAQ: $COIN) and Robinhood Markets (NASDAQ: $HOOD).
Many online sportsbook operators are also moving into prediction markets, with DraftKings (NASDAQ: $DKNG) announcing last year that it would launch its own platform.
Fanatics is betting that its large, installed sports audience can help it establish a presence in the prediction market space.
As a private company, Fanatics' stock does not trade on a public exchange.