Spotify Technology SA has requested that two prediction market platforms remove the streaming service's logo from their sites and explicitly state that no partnership exists, after the company identified manipulated streaming activity linked to markets betting on Spotify chart positions.
According to a person familiar with the matter cited by Bloomberg, Spotify uncovered more than 500,000 artificial streams and took those plays down. Those bogus streams had propelled Malcolm Todd’s song "Earrings" into a top position on Spotify’s charts prior to the platform's investigation and removals.
The inflated play counts were subsequently used in the settlement of a Kalshi market that asked which song would be the most frequently streamed on Spotify in the US during June. That market attracted about $3 million in trading, and Todd had been declared one of the winners based on figures that were published before Spotify completed its review.
After identifying the irregular streaming activity, Spotify reached out to both Kalshi and Polymarket to request removal of its logo and clarification that neither prediction market has a formal relationship with the streaming service. The outreach followed Spotify's internal actions to correct its charts by removing the artificial streams.
Kalshi issued a short public response through spokesperson Elisabeth Diana, stating: "We're in touch with Spotify and are actively investigating this matter." Polymarket did not immediately provide a comment when contacted.
Context and implications
The incident links streaming data integrity with financial wagers placed on outcome-based prediction markets. In this case, the contested streaming figures influenced trading outcomes and payouts in a market that drew significant participant interest and capital.
Spotify’s request that the platforms dissociate its brand underscores concern about perceived endorsement or implied partnerships when third-party services feature a company's logo in association with markets based on that company's internal metrics.
Kalshi’s statement indicates the firm is investigating alongside Spotify’s inquiries; Polymarket had not responded at the time of reporting. The sequence of events shows a timeline in which winners were declared before Spotify finished its investigation and adjusted chart tallies.
Conclusion
Spotify’s actions highlight the challenge of ensuring chart accuracy when external markets link financial outcomes to streaming-derived rankings. The company moved to correct the charts and to distance itself publicly from the prediction market platforms while those platforms review the matter.