You’ve probably heard of pickleball—the fastest-growing sport in North America two years running. And if you haven’t, maybe you’ve at least heard it because it’s so darn loud.
Acoustics aside, with millions now playing it, big-name investors are betting people want to watch it, too.
What happened: An ownership group including NBA superstar LeBron James bought a professional pickleball team that will join Major League Pickleball (MLP) for its upcoming season.
- The MLP said every member of the ownership group (including other NBAers Draymond Green and Kevin Love) plays pickleball, which conjures the humorous image of a group of 6’9, 250-pound athletes duking it out on such a tiny court.
Why it’s happening: Pickleball (a combo of tennis, badminton, and ping pong) was invented in 1965 but boomed in popularity during the pandemic as a socially-distanced activity with low barriers to entry.
- Pickleball Canada estimates that one million people in Canada play pickleball this year, up from 350,000 in 2020.
Yes, but: The MPL faces a crowded field. There are two other pro pickleball leagues, the Professional Pickleball Association and the Association of Pickleball Professionals (do they know they can use different words?).
- New sports leagues usually have a tough time just surviving (let alone growing), and having three nearly-identical competitors in the space won’t make that easier.
- And while people may like playing it, there’s not yet much evidence pickleball can command a mass audience.
Bottom line: It’s unlikely that the dominance of the Big Four North American sports league will be broken up anytime soon (and soccer is the more likely candidate to do it). But if pickleball continues to grow at this pace, it could give tennis a run for its money.