Ben Johns jumps through the kitchen for a backhand shot during the PPA Carvana Arizona Grand Slam Pro Men’s Doubles Championship game at Legacy Sports USA on February 19, 2023 in Mesa, Arizona.
Bruce Yeung | Getty Images
Amazon Prime members can now add pickleball coverage to their membership benefits list.
from Amazon Prime Video streaming platform announced on Tuesday that it has signed a multi-year deal with the Professional Pickleball Association for global streaming rights to four live PPA Tour events per year, including the 2023-2024 PPA Tour World Championship Series.
Amazon Prime coverage kicks off with a four-day tournament starting Thursday from the Atlanta opened in Peachtree Corners, Georgia.
“Obviously when something is experiencing explosive growth, we notice it,” Charlie Neiman, head of sports partnerships at Amazon Prime Video, told CNBC.
Amazon said coverage will include games featuring top players such as Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Walters and Anna Bright.
Connor Pardoe, CEO and co-founder of the Pro Pickleball Association, called the deal “monumental” for the burgeoning league.
“It’s important for the evolution of the pro game, the game as a whole, and a nice step forward for the professional players,” he added.
Prime’s deal with the PPA also deepens its commitment to the world of sports streaming rights, which range from Thursday Night Football to emerging sports leagues and sports documentaries.
Neiman says Amazon has had tremendous success investing in other emerging properties, such as MMA’s One Championship or Overtime Elite Basketball. He thinks pickleball also has significant growth potential, he said.
“We’re always looking at content and making sure our offerings on Prime Video reflect our customers’ interests,” he said.
For pickleball enthusiasts, seeing their sport on the small screen, along with the ability to stream games, is welcome news. But patchwork and evolving media strategy have also made it confusing where to look.
The more than 20 tournaments of the PPA Tour in 2023 can be seen at a variety of platforms that also includes ABC, Fox, CBS, YouTube, the Tennis Channel and FanDuel. Earlier this month, the PPA Tour announced that ESPN would do just that cover eight of the league tournaments.
“Wherever pickleball is today, it’s a sport that’s really hot,” said Pardoe. “It’s really exciting and nobody wants to miss it. But also, nobody’s really ready to commit to the whole thing either.”
Pardoe said it will take time to get a more succinct and consistent media deal, but today the league is focused on getting its brand “everywhere, everywhere.”
Pickleball continues to experience rapid growth, with an estimated 36 million people picking up a paddle between August 2021 and August 2022, according to a report from the Association of Pickleball Professionals. According to the Sports Fitness Industry Association’s 2023 Topline Participation Report, the sport has grown more than 158% in the past three years.