The National Hockey League has signed an exclusive agreement with FutureSports to provide official real-time statistics for CME’s planned sports index derivatives, giving the project its first publicly announced league data partner. FutureSports will use NHL data to create broad-based CME FutureSports Performance Indexes linked to hockey teams and players. CME plans to list monthly and quarterly cash-settled futures contracts based on those benchmarks for the 2026-27 NHL season, subject to regulatory review. Official Data for Continuous Benchmarks The agreement gives FutureSports access to official play-by-play statistics that will feed rules-based indexes during games. The company said the benchmarks will measure the cumulative performance of teams and athletes, creating continuously updated values rather than contracts tied to a single match outcome. Finance Magnates previously reported that CME plans to list futures and options on FutureSports Performance Indexes as a benchmark-based alternative to sports prediction market contracts. Unlike binary event contracts, the proposed products reference calculated performance indices that can support standard expiries and cash settlement.League Supplies Data, FutureSports Runs the Indexes The NHL agreement clarifies the division of responsibilities behind the planned contracts. The league will supply the underlying statistics, but it will not determine, calculate or govern the indexes. FutureSports will administer the benchmarks through rules-based methodologies, while CME will list the derivatives. FutureSports said its index governance and oversight arrangements are designed to align with the IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks. The NHL said it has established monitoring and other protections and works with partners and regulatory stakeholders to support the integrity of the game and related financial products. The companies identified potential hedging users including third-party vendors, sponsors, endorsers, insurers and sports apparel manufacturers. They also said asset managers, pension funds and professional trading firms are expected to participate, while individual investors will be able to access the contracts. For CME’s planned sports index futures, the agreement supplies one of the inputs needed before launch: official league data feeding independently administered benchmarks.This article was written by Tanya Chepkova at www.financemagnates.com.