Major League Pickleball announces new expansion franchise -- the Palm Beach Royals

Alex Lantz

Director of Content

Last Edited

Aug 01 2025

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News

Major League Pickleball on Friday announced the formation of the Palm Beach Royals, an expansion franchise that will begin play in 2026.

The team was purchased at a record-high valuation by Zach Hunter and Taylor Meyer of Hyperspace Ventures, according to a news release from the league.

“The addition of an expansion franchise at the highest team valuation in league history speaks loudly to what has been -- and is continuing to be -- built by MLP and the PPA Tour in just a few years,” said Samin Odhwani, UPA Chief Strategy Officer and MLP Commissioner. “We greatly look forward to the contributions that Zach, Taylor and their ownership group can bring to MLP.”

Former UNC tennis players and accomplished tech entrepreneurs, Hunter and Meyer bring a unique combination of competitive sports experience, a focus on technology and operational expertise to the organization. Additional celebrity, professional athlete and business tycoon investors are expected to be announced in the coming weeks and months, according to MLP.

League operations around the Royals, including the player acquisition process, will be announced during the upcoming MLP offseason.

An Instagram story from Meyer on Friday indicated that the Royals would compete at the Premier Level, although the league didn't officially say that in its announcement.

The league said last month that the winner of this year's Challenger Level championship will be promoted to Premier, leaving just five teams at the Challenger Level.

The promotion of the Challenger Level champion and the addition of the Palm Beach franchise would make it 18 teams in Premier in 2026.

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