Chicago – September 21, 2026 -- FutureSports has signed an exclusive agreement with Major League Baseball to build rules-based performance indexes on all 30 MLB clubs, clearing the path for CME Group to list cash-settled futures contracts tied to the sport for the first time.
MLB Data Feeds New CME FSPI Benchmarks Covering All 30 Clubs
Under the agreement, MLB will supply FutureSports with Official League Data, which the index administrator will convert into CME FutureSports Performance Indexes (FSPI) tracking cumulative team performance. CME Group plans to list weekly, monthly and quarterly cash-settled futures contracts on the benchmarks, subject to regulatory review.
Baseball Deal Follows FutureSports' Earlier NHL Index Agreement
FutureSports previously partnered with the National Hockey League to create similar performance indexes, with CME Group set to launch NHL-linked futures contracts on Sept. 28, pending regulatory clearance. The MLB agreement extends the same model to a second major North American league.
FutureSports Says Baseball's Growth Justifies New Hedging Tools
Rhett Dinsdale, Co-Founder of FutureSports, said the company aims to give baseball industry participants a new way to hedge capital exposures as the business of the sport has expanded. He called the MLB collaboration a chance to build indexes on "America's beloved sport."
MLB Excluded From Index Calculation Under Governance Framework
FutureSports will retain sole control over the determination, calculation and governance of the CME FSPI baseball benchmarks; MLB will have no role in setting index values. FutureSports and CME Group will coordinate with MLB on integrity matters, establishing an information-sharing framework consistent with applicable law. The indexes are designed using transparent, rules-based methodologies derived from live, play-by-play statistical data, intended to function similarly to equity, commodity and fixed-income benchmarks used across global exchanges.