Is Pickleball Profitable?
Over the last few years, pickleball has grown in popularity and this year its popularity has exploded. Whether players are in their sixties or in their teens, everyone loves pickleball. It also seems that pickleball athletes not only love to play the sport, they also love to watch it. Social media such as Instagram and TikTok are rich with videos that can be entertaining, as well as helpful for players. In fact, there is even a web-based Pickleball Channel, which was started in 2014, but has also gained in popularity. Additionally, major pickleball tournaments can be seen on The Tennis Channel, CBS and ESPN. Pickleball seems to be everywhere.
What does this increased popularity and exposure mean for the game of pickleball? It seems that everyone wants to cash in on the pickleball craze. Founded by billionaire Steve Kuhn, Major League Pickle (MLP) is the main league for pickleball. Recently, Tom Brady purchased an expansion team in the league with tennis star Kim Clijsters. Before that, Lebron James, Kevin Durant and Kevin Love, among others, all invested in pickleball teams. Not only are athletes investing in pickleball, but musicians like Drake and actors such as Michael B. Jordan have also invested in Major League Pickleball teams. It brings one question to mind: what is truly attracting these headliner investors and why are they seeing such potential dollar signs?
To begin, all ages can play pickleball. As a result, pickleball has increased by over 158.6 percent over the last three years and 85.7 percent in the previous year. While pickleball may seem like all the rage, the league’s valuation is still relatively small, anywhere from 1–10 million dollars. However, MLP CEO Julio DePietro explains that team valuations have seen a 100x growth over just the past two years. Translating the growth of the league and the growth in the number of people actually playing pickleball into television viewership dollars is the challenge since that is where the money actually is made. To increase pickleball’s mainstream sports viewership, ESPN is attempting to gain viewers from the under 50 year old demographic. Most pickleball players are over 55, so to keep the sport growing, ESPN must consider how to market pickleball to younger demographics. ESPN did this earlier in 2023 during the broadcasting of the Pickleball Slam, an event that included tennis stars and other celebrities. The broadcast reeled in 237,000 adults under 50 years old and was categorized a success.
A drive for professional pay is the leading factor behind the lack of professional athletes but prize money is beginning to take off due to the sport’s recent exposure. The Pro Pickleball Association (PPA) will spread 5.5 million dollars in prize money across 25 events, with top pay for each tournament averaging around 125 thousand dollars. The PPA is not the only pickleball league; the Association for Pickleball Players (APP) is another major league. This league has similar pay to the PPA, so most professional pickleball players play in tournaments in both leagues. As the sport continues to grow we will continue to see an uptick in the number of competitors in these tournaments; which will allow sites like ESPN to continue streaming pickleball. Only time will tell if pickleball will become a mainstream sport and attract viewers and fans from all around the globe- but if the enthusiasm pickleball seems to be generating continues, it could translate in big dollars for players, owners and both television and streaming services.
