Under a published team performance index methodology, positive statistical actions add points and negative actions subtract them. The index isn't a win-loss record. That mechanic works across sports.
A club can win a game while the printed constituents still net down for that period.
The category stack is a team or athlete performance index (for example, a FutureSports Performance Index), cash-settled index futures on a CFTC-designated contract market that reference that benchmark, and ETF wrappers that would reference those benchmarks if and when a registration statement is declared effective.
Let's use the NHL for example. FutureSports' Index Methodology Guide for FSPI National Hockey League (NHL) Team Indexes (August 2026) sets how constituents such as goals, saves, and penalties add and subtract. Point weights aren't reinvented here; they sit in that guide. CME Group plans cash-settled futures on those indexes, pending regulatory review. LeagueShares, LLC is an exchange-traded fund issuer formed to bring sports performance benchmarks into regulated, exchange-listed funds.
Sports index futures of this kind are cash-settled contracts on a continuously calculated team performance index, designed for trading on a CFTC-designated contract market. Take hockey for example: CME Group has said hockey / NHL FSPI futures are planned for 28 September 2026, pending regulatory review. That is the first scheduled live example of the category, not the definition of it. As of September 2026, no contract has been listed and final specifications haven't been published. This page is informational only. It isn't an offer to sell securities or a solicitation of an offer to buy securities.
CME Group's product page gives plain examples. Scoring and earning a favorable advantage for an individual event add points to the index. FutureSports structures those additions through the published Points Attribution Table in the August 2026 methodology guide.
For example, each FSPI team index starts the season at 7,500. Additions stack into that running level as official statistics print. The league supplies the data. FutureSports calculates the index under rules designed to align with the IOSCO Principles for Financial Benchmarks.
CME Group states that opponent scoring, in-event penalties, and other setbacks subtract points. Those negative constituents are part of the same transparent framework that credits positive actions.
Because both signs sit in the methodology, the index path can diverge from the scoreboard narrative fans watch in real time. For example, in hockey, a night with many penalties or opponent scoring events can weigh on the index even when the club leaves with two points in the standings.
Yes. The index is the net of positive and negative constituents for the period, not a binary win flag. FutureSports' August 2026 guide frames the indexes as cumulative performance measures. They aren't one-time event determinations.
For example, in professional hockey, a club can win the game while the printed negatives still outweigh the printed positives for that slice of the season. The standings line and the index line are related inputs. They aren't the same number.
A hedger that maps commercial risk to statistical performance needs the benchmark that actually drives the exposure. If the risk moves with the full constituent set, a win-loss proxy can misstate the hedge.
CME Group has framed planned FSPI futures as capital-efficient risk transfer on a CFTC-designated contract market with central clearing, pending regulatory review. Cash settlement references the index, with final settlement published T+1 for possible league restatements. Standard size is about $10 times the index (~$75,000 at 7,500). Micro size is about $0.10 times the index (~$750 at 7,500).
Sources: FutureSports Index Methodology Guide (August 2026); https://www.cmegroup.com/markets/equities/sports-index-futures.html; CME Group 11 August 2026 and 29 July 2026 releases.
Mechanic snapshot
| Question | FSPI team index answer |
|---|---|
| What adds? | Positive official statistics (e.g., scoring; favorable advantages per CME examples) |
| What subtracts? | Negative official statistics (e.g., opponent scoring; penalties; setbacks) |
| Is a win required for the index to rise? | No. Net constituents decide the move. |
| Can the index fall after a win? | Yes, if negatives outweigh positives for that period. |
| Season start level | Base 7,500 under FutureSports methodology |
| Planned futures settlement | Cash settled to the index; T+1 final settlement for restatements (CME) |
Under FutureSports' August 2026 methodology, positives add and negatives subtract. The index isn't a win-loss record. A club can win while the printed constituents still net down. CME Group's planned futures settle to that index level, pending regulatory review.
LeagueShares, LLC is an exchange-traded fund issuer formed to bring sports performance benchmarks into regulated, exchange-listed funds. Registration statement amendments relating to these securities have been filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission and have not yet become effective. This page is for informational purposes only. It is not an offer to sell or a solicitation of an offer to buy any security, and no securities may be sold, nor may offers to buy be accepted, before the amendments become effective.
LeagueShares, LLC and LeagueShares Advisors, LLC aren't affiliated with, licensed by, or sponsored or endorsed by CME Group, FutureSports, or any professional sports league, team, player, or players' association.
CME, CME Group and Chicago Mercantile Exchange are trademarks of Chicago Mercantile Exchange Inc. FutureSports and FSPI are marks of Sports Futures Xchange, Inc. Ross-Arctos Sports Franchise Index and RASFI, where named, are marks of their respective owners. Third-party document titles are cited for identification only; no license, sponsorship or endorsement is implied.
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