Can pickleball make good TV? The Wager proves it can

Adam Forziati

Director of Content

Last Edited

Jan 17 2025

Category

News

While the collective sports world holds their breath for Ben Stiller's big budget pickleball movie, what they may not realize is that there are already a few options for those looking to put pickleball on their screens...just not very good ones.

Options like The Pickleball Murders — a horrendously produced feature not even deserving of the title "B-movie" — and The Big Dill Pickleball: Las Vegas — a better produced but still boring competition — are largely unwatchable.

But there IS a genuinely good pickleball show streaming free right now.

It's called "The Wager," and ever since we first learned about it, we've been interested to see if it holds up. Thankfully, it does.

Co-hosted by TV journalist Jason Kennedy & PPA Tour pro Wes Burrows, the show's namesake wager refers to one the cohosts set with celebrity competitors. Whichever team loses donates $10,000 to a charity of their choosing.

The best thing about The Wager is how easy it is to watch. It doesn’t overcomplicate things with cringey scripted drama or forced pickleball jargon. Instead, it keeps things light, fun, and real.

Every episode follows a simple but effective structure. It kicks off with co-hosts Wes Burrows and Jason Kennedy strategizing before their celebrity opponents arrive. If you actually play pickleball, this is the part that hooks you.

Burrows drops legit strategy tips, the kind that could actually help your game. Kennedy, meanwhile, plays the role of the everyday rec player—excited, competitive, but aware that his skills are a work in progress.

Once the match starts, it’s clear that The Wager isn’t about elite-level play—it’s about enjoying the game. The rallies are scrappy, the points unpredictable, and the energy stays high.

When the mid-match water break hits, it feels like you’re just hanging courtside with the players. One of the best moments: Taylor Lautner (Twilight) casually admitting that he once brought a handheld group game to Usher’s birthday party. It’s the kind of random, offbeat story that makes these episodes feel like a mix between a friendly rec game and a sports talk show.

If you’re looking for a show that treats pickleball like the social sport it is, The Wager is as good as it gets.

Does this show display serious skill? Apart from the literal pro player, no, not really.

But you don't really expect that going in. And the great thing about pickleball is that there are always unexpectedly impressive moments to be captured in almost any game.

You can stream The Wager on Xumo.

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