RECAP: The Pickleball Business Forum 2024 (The Super Bowl of Pickleball Biz)

Good evening, picklers.

Here’s what’s on the docket today:

• Pickle Talk: Pickleball Business Forum 2024: The Super Bowl of Pickleball Biz

• Bite-sized: Celebrities Take Center Court at the Pickleball World Championships

• Golden Pickle: Pickleball bruises are no joke – One Redditor shared their battle scar: a gnarly pickleball bruise that’s become a badge of honor.

PICKLE TALK

🚨 Pickleball Business Forum 2024: The Super Bowl of Pickleball Biz 🚨

The Pickleball Business Forum just wrapped up its second year, and the takeaways are clear: pickleball isn’t slowing down. From sponsorships to broadcasting, the business side of the sport is booming…faster than Trump won the election.

That’s right, Mr. Frodo. Here’s what went down:👇

🔥 “The best is yet to come.” - Bob Whyley, Senior VP of Production, Tennis Channel

Panelists shared insights on sponsorships, advertising, broadcasting, and infrastructure.

💡 Big Takeaway: Pickleball isn’t stopping at highlighting those rising in the game; it’s turning heads across the business and media world and they want a piece of the pie.

After all, the many, many eyes on the game right now is optimal to sell, sell, sell. FREE MARKETS FOR EVERYONE.

1/ 🎾 Tennis Royalty Goes Pickleball Viral

Pro tennis legends Genie Bouchard and Jack Sock are bringing their social media A-game to the sport:

🗣️ “Participation isn’t the issue—it’s about viewership,” said Bouchard.

✅ TV rights and engaging a virtual audience will be the key to growing the sport.

Fun Fact: Matches on YouTube are already pulling hundreds of thousands of views. The appetite is REAL. But it’s still not enough.

2/ 🏆 The Birth of the PPA Tour

Connor Pardoe, CEO of the PPA Tour, realized the power of pickleball early:

💡 “I was having more fun watching a local pickleball tournament than the US Open!”

Fast-forward to 2024, and the PPA’s YouTube matches are watched by thousands, but the infantile stage of pickleball broadcasting is still limiting viewership.

3/ 📺 Enter: PickleballTV

Launched just last year, PickleballTV is going all-in:

🤑 $5.99/month gets you live games, replays, and lifestyle content.

SIDE NOTE: That’s basically a Netflix subscription, so they better make it worth it.

📈 Growth Goal: 100,000 subscribers by 2025

Bob Whyley’s pitch?

“When people watch, they fall in love—with the game, the players, the strategy.”

4/ 🏟️ Super Bowl Vibes at Lapiplasty Pickleball World Championships

This year’s championship has 50,000+ on-site spectators. 🎉

It’s a mix of pro matches and amateur events—proving pickleball isn’t just fun to play.

5/ 🤔 Why Does This Matter?

Pickleball’s business trajectory is massive:

Prediction: By 2025, pickleball might not just be America’s fastest-growing sport—it could be a household media powerhouse IF broadcasting can get it right. Maybe even capture a international audience.

TL;DR: The Pickleball Business Forum is the brain behind the brawn.

It’s not just paddles and dinks—it’s strategy, money, and influence.
And everyone from Jack Sock to Connor Pardoe agrees: pickleball is here to stay.

What’s your bet—100,000 PickleballTV subs by 2025? 📺 🏓 Or it too bullish?

BITE-SIZED PICKLES to watch out for this week 👀

1/ 🏆 Celebrities Take Center Court at the Pickleball World Championships

The Lapiplasty® 3D Bunion Correction® Pickleball World Championships brought the heat on Nov. 7 with an epic Celebrity Showdown. NBA, NFL, and pro pickleball stars hit the court in front of a roaring crowd—and the results were 🔥.

Star-Studded Lineup. Who we got?

🏀 Dirk Nowitzki & Kris Humphries

🏈 Golden Tate, Adrian Peterson, & Terrell Owens

👟 Guinness World Record-holder Jenna Bandy

Plus pro pickleballers like Ben Johns, Anna Bright, Tyson McGuffin, and Genie Bouchard.

The Highlights

🏈 NFL vs. 🏀 NBA

Golden Tate stole the show, hitting Kris Humphries with a Nasty Nelson to seal a 7-4 win for his team.

🎾 Isner & Johns Dominate

John Isner and Ben Johns crushed Peterson and McGuffin, winning 7-1. No surprises here—Isner’s no stranger to the pickleball court.

👩‍🦰 Women’s Doubles Elevates the Game

Jenna Bandy and Meghan Dizon faced off against Bouchard and Bright. Power shots? Check. Firefights? Check. Bouchard and Bright took the win, 7-2, but Bandy’s raw strength made her the one to watch.

⚔️ Battle of the Sexes

Dirk Nowitzki and Donald Young fell 8-5 to Bouchard and Bandy. But Dirk showed off some serious backhand slice skills—he’s clearly been putting in work since last year.

Final Match: The Comeback of the Night

Takeaway: The Celebrity Showdown proved one thing: FAMOUS athletes love pickleball—and they’re getting really good at it. Whether it’s the NFL’s Golden Tate or NBA’s Dirk Nowitzki, pickleball is quickly becoming the sport that everyone wants to play (and dominate).

2/ 🎾 Teen Titans Take Down the Johns Brothers

In a shocking upset, Quang Duong and CJ Klinger dismantled the No. 2 seeds, Ben and Collin Johns, with a commanding 11-1, 11-6 victory on Thursday.

How They Did It (from out point of view)

The teenage duo controlled the match with precision:

• Duong’s dipping third-shot drives set Klinger up for relentless attacks.

• Klinger’s ability to “crash and end points” sealed the deal.

Not Their First Rodeo

This might only be their second tournament together this year, but these two are already making waves:

• Nearly upset JW Johnson/Dylan Frazier last month at the Rate Championships in Las Vegas.

• Now they’ve knocked out one of the most dominant teams in pickleball history.

What’s Next?

Duong and Klinger, seeded No. 14, advance to the quarterfinals on Friday. They’ll face the winner of Christian Alshon/James Ignatowich vs. DJ Young/Callan Dawson.

“We take it one point at a time,” said Duong. “It’s not about winning or losing—it’s about trying our best and seeing what happens.”

With momentum like this, the sky’s the limit for these Teenage Mutant Pickleball Turtles. 🌟

GOLDEN PICKLE: Your must-clicks of the week

Just a few crumbs before you go…😉

1️⃣ Pickleball bruises are no joke(NSFW) – One Redditor shared their battle scar: a gnarly pickleball bruise that’s become a badge of honor. Whether it’s a paddle clash or a stray shot, injuries like this show how intense the game can get. Warning: It’s not for the squeamish. Check it out.

2️⃣ College tennis: the pickleball player factory – A majority of today’s pro pickleball players have one thing in common: they started on college tennis courts. This pipeline shows how skills honed in NCAA tennis translate seamlessly to pro pickleball dominance. Read the full story.

3️⃣ Witness Duong/Klinger destroy the Johns Brothers – The game was tense and it was almost…unexpected. The Johns brothes had a good chance at winning as the last couple months were good to them and they were expected to win, but the tennagers, Duong and Klinger, both 18, captured the win. A must watch. Watch now.

4️⃣ Quarterfinals at the Lapiplasty® Pickleball World Championships – The matchups are locked, and the competition is heating up. With players like Ben Johns and Anna Bright still in the mix, every match promises to be electric. Here’s the full schedule, so you don’t miss a second of the action. Get the details.

5️⃣ Miss the last Pickle Talk? 👉🏻 Did you know that Connor Garnett, pickleball pro, was Novak Djokovic’s ex-hitting partner? Selkirk released their newest paddle: the Project 007 10mm & 14mm models. Price tag: $333. Pickleball makes it to Tokyo, the first dedicated pickleball courts.