Issuers Filed Applications for Pro Sports Team ETFs
Investors could soon access 402 new funds tied to the performance of professional baseball, hockey, and basketball teams.
Updated on Oct. 6, 2026 in Investing
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Four firms have filed applications with the SEC to launch a massive family of 402 exchange-traded funds tracking individual teams in the NHL, MLB, and NBA. The proposals include leveraged products that rely on futures contracts to track team performance.
Why it matters
The proposed funds represent a new method for investors to gain exposure to professional sports organizations via the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. These applications follow an earlier regulatory push during the summer of 2026, when the SEC requested public feedback on such novel financial products.
Four issuers filed for 402 individual ETFs covering 32 NHL teams and 30 MLB and NBA teams each. The filings include 2x leveraged versions of these products.
The players
Securities and Exchange Commission
The federal regulatory agency responsible for approving or rejecting new exchange-traded fund filings.
Roundhill Investments
An investment firm and fund issuer involved in the application to launch new sports-focused ETFs.
Chicago Mercantile Exchange
A financial exchange where the futures contracts underlying these proposed sports ETFs would trade.
FutureSports Performance Indices
The index creator that secured deals for official statistics to support the new sports team tracking funds.
The details
The proposed ETFs utilize continuous indices created by FutureSports Performance Indices to track the underlying performance of professional sports teams. To replicate these returns, the funds are structured to use futures contracts traded on the Chicago Mercantile Exchange. Issuers behind the filings include Roundhill Investments, Volatility Shares, REX Financial, and LeagueSports, aiming to build entire families of products for every team within the leagues.
Timeline
The SEC requested public comments on novel ETF proposals during the summer of 2026.
The Financial Times reported on the ETF filings on October 6, 2026.
Money Landscape
These applications represent a significant expansion in the variety of assets available through retail ETFs. This move sits within a broader regulatory cycle where the SEC is evaluating the risks of novel, index-linked products for the general public.
These filings are currently in the proposal stage and do not yet affect your brokerage or retirement accounts. Consult with a qualified financial professional to discuss the risks associated with leveraged funds and speculative, index-based assets before considering new offerings.
The takeaway
These filings signal an attempt to commoditize sports team performance for retail investors through derivatives. Investors should note that the SEC maintains the authority to reject these products entirely, making it critical to monitor future regulatory decisions regarding the final approval of these funds.
Further reading
For more information on how to evaluate new financial product offerings, visit our Investing section.
Source note: This article includes information reported by Sportsbusinessjournal.
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