As one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., Major League Pickleball attracts celebrities, players, and money.
Key Details
- Interest from celebrities has catapulted pickleball from a relatively unknown American sport to one of the most popular games in the U.S.
- As more sports enthusiasts look to get in on the action, advertisers and sponsors are rushing to make their mark in the sport, The Future Party reports.
- Endorsements from celebrities like Tom Brady and LeBron James have catapulted pickleball into the public eye.
Why it’s news
Sports are not just entertainment for athletes and viewers, the sports industry represents hundreds of billions of dollars. As one of the fastest-growing sports in the U.S., gaining early access to pickleball investing opportunities could be profitable for advertisers and sponsors.
Compared to other sports that have a difficult learning curve, pickleball is relatively easy to learn and is accessible for nearly every age range. It is also a low-impact sport, meaning generations can more easily play together.
City planners are picking up on the pickleball craze. Developers are planning pickleball courts near new neighborhoods with the expectation that residents will want to play, The Future Party reports.
The sport’s popularity owes much to celebrity endorsement. Major League Pickleball CEO Brian Levine says that followers of the sport more than doubled after Tom Brady posted a video about his love for it. The league saw a similar boost when LeBron James announced that he was buying pickleball team the New York Hustlers.
In 2021, Avenue Capital Group co-founder Mar Lasry said he spent around $100,000 acquiring pickleball franchises. Now, he says that investment is worth over $10 million, The Future Party reports.
The sport has grown so popular that CBS and ESPN have agreed to broadcast upcoming games, and with excitement for the games still increasing, there are likely to only be more sponsorship and advertising opportunities.
