The Viability of Professional Pickleball

Have you heard of Pickleball? The ping pong-tennis hybrid was created in 1965, but its popularity has risen astronomically in recent years. At first, it was an escape from the cabin fever caused by the COVID-19 pandemic: an outlet of exercise and sociability while remaining socially distant. But even as restrictions relaxed, the sport’s interest only grew, with the outdoor activity gaining a whopping 30 million new players from 2021 to 2022. Pickleball’s affordability, relaxed nature, and easy learning curve have helped it grow at an incredible rate, but is it enough to transform the sport from a fun activity to a professional competition??

In the past few years, major sports figures like Tom Brady, LeBron James, and Kevin Durant have formed and invested in their own professional Pickleball teams. There had been two professional associations to field such teams and host Pickleball competitions, Major League Pickleball (MLP) and the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). Earlier this year, the two leagues merged, combining the teams and different events into one singular body. With more players, games, and a new $75 million investment, the joint league expects this increased and unified activity to increase viewership.

Viewership is one of the main sources of revenue for any sport, but is an area of concern for pickleball, particularly when it comes to television. Despite many playing the sport themselves, there have been questions about the viability of running a professional league if no one is interested in watching. Optimists point towards last year’s Pickleball Slam event on ESPN, which was viewed as a success after roughly 200,000 adults under 50 tuned in to watch. But this competition featured famous tennis stars like John McEnroe and Andy Roddick playing the sport, rather than professional pickleball players from the MLP and PPA. Was this large viewership a result of the athletes’ star power, or a genuine interest in watching pickleball on TV?

The viewership numbers for the upcoming 2024 season should provide the answer, as the pickleball audience is no longer split between two leagues. Brooklyn Aces co-owner Richard Kleiman believes revenue can be made from merchandise sales and event sponsorship deals, both of which he expects will be the team’s main source of income. How fans engage with these teams both at the courts and in their homes during the 2024 season will be the true test of how professional pickleball generates its profits, and if it's enough to sustain the league in the coming years.

Works Cited

Golden, Jessica. “Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour Complete Long-Awaited Merger.” CNBC, CNBC, 1 Mar. 2024, www.cnbc.com/2024/02/29/major-league-pickleball-and-ppa-tour-complete-merger.html.

Golden, Jessica. “Pickleball Popularity Exploded Last Year, with More than 36 Million Playing the Sport.” CNBC, CNBC, 5 Jan. 2023, www.cnbc.com/2023/01/05/pickleball-popularity-explodes-with-more-than-36-million-playing.html.

Hirsch, Lauren, et al. “Pickleball Went Pro. Can It Profit?” The New York Times, The New York Times, 30 Aug. 2023, www.nytimes.com/2023/08/19/business/dealbook/pickleball-business.html.

Maine, D’Arcy. “Kevin Durant Latest Sports Star to Own Pickleball Franchise.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 20 Oct. 2022, www.espn.com/nba/story/_/id/34838548/kevin-durant-latest-sports-star-own-pickleball-franchise.

Maine, D’Arcy. “Tom Brady, Kim Clijsters Latest to Invest in Pickleball Team.” ESPN, ESPN Internet Ventures, 12 Oct. 2022, www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/34781308/tom-brady-kim-clijsters-latest-invest-pickleball-team.

Morse, Ben, and Issy Ronald. “NBA Stars Lebron James, Kevin Love and Draymond Green Agree to Buy Pickleball Team.” CNN, Cable News Network, 29 Sept. 2022, www.cnn.com/2022/09/29/sport/lebron-james-pickleball-ownership-spt-intl/index.html.?