Pickleball Should be More Mainstream. This is How We Get it There.
Last Edited
Aug 28 2024
Category
News
Pickleball is the greatest sport in the world…or at least, it can be.
The last year was an explosive one for the sport. We've seen more infrastructure built, records broken, and the continuing explosion of the player count.
All of that speaks to the continued popularity of pickleball. The audience is there. So what’s the issue?
Making pickleball properly "mainstream" — by which I mean a sport which earns more viewership — is a real possibility, but it still evades us.
There are several key factors that are creating limitations for the sport to breakthrough from its current state to something much bigger.
Here are the pathways to further pickleball growth:
At the League Level
For starters, we must see consistency in the way leagues are governed and organized.
We see a lot of controversy from the serve to how paddles are tested before events. These types of inconsistencies cause hesitation from major brands and networks that will invest a lot of resources to support pickleball.
Let’s use the serve as an example. A pro pickleball season begins with the USAP service rules in place.
One or two events go by and now its decided there needs to be a change. The ball doesn’t need to be dropped anymore, you can toss it up before you hit.
Ok. That’s not a big deal in and of itself. Another month of events rolls through, and guess what? More changes.
Now, you can still toss the ball up, but the ball can’t go above your torso. Ok… getting a little weird, but whatever, right?
Well now we are over halfway through the season and there have been 3 additional changes to the serve rule. We look up to find a key aspect of the sport unrecognizable.
Minor changes and tweaks to how the game is played make a major impact to the sport over time.
There must be a standard across the board that players and companies can meet with the sole purpose of growing the sport of pickleball.
We should also be willing to make changes and adapt to the changing nature of the sport. Being static will not work. Pickleball has a lot of opportunities for growth, and we must foster an environment that allows such growth.
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Now for the Fans...
Pickleball is a spectator sport, despite what you may hear.
If you’ve been watching PPA events like the Utah Open, then you get it.
- The Piklr Utah Open: 7,571 attendees
- Bristol Open: 295,000 television viewers
Community is one of the pillars of pickleball. It’s a sport that brings people together like nothing else, and we need to lean into that.
People want to watch pickleball whether that be live or through one of the various streaming platforms. It’s fast paced, exciting, and keeps you engaged. It has all the ingredients of a sport made for people to watch.
People want to be where other people are. Let’s make pro events a place where people want to be.
We are seeing this happen right before our eyes with the Bristol Open having nearly 300,000 live viewers watching Champion Sunday (130,000 more than LIV Golf).
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It’s time to double down. Let’s seek social media influencers to share the events with their young followers. Seek out opportunities to bring pickleball to the masses, and not just through the big TV deals already struck. Let's be honest: tradition TV networks have been on their way out for a long time.
For the in-person side, MAKE IT BIG. Huge events, massive seating, and a lot of entertainment.
Offer activities for families to come and hang out. Provide concessions to make it feel more like a sporting event. Win the crowds over before they even walk into the gates by creating a show before the show.
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Make the Experience Memorable
Pickleball can be a premier sport in the US. The talent level of top pros, the explosive nature of matches, and the culture surrounding the sport make it something people want to be a part of.
As pioneers and early adopters, we must lead the charge in making this a reality.
Frank Hines loves the game of pickleball and sharing that passion with as many people as possible. He found the game over two years ago and hasn't let up since. Follow Frank on X (formerly Twitter) and Instagram.
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