Pickleball is becoming increasingly popular across the United States and is receiving more attention from media companies. This month, the Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) announced a deal with CBS and ESPN to televise and stream matches, with 12 hours of live coverage on CBS and eight hours of recaps on ESPN2. Additionally, the Tennis Channel will also be televising pickleball events from the PPA and Major League Pickleball.
The growth of pickleball has been considerable, with 4.8 million people playing the sport, which is an increase of 39.3% in the past two years. This has seen celebrities, investors and big-name sponsors become involved, with the Major League Pickleball expanding to 24 teams and six events with a prize of $2 million. Additionally, the Saudi Arabia backed LIV Golf announced a multi-year agreement with the CW.
The rise of pickleball looks set to continue and it appears the media industry is taking note. With a growing number of people playing pickleball and the addition of celebrities, investors and sponsors, the future of the sport looks bright. It will be interesting to see how the media coverage of pickleball develops in the future.