Pickleball Inc. $225 million deal creates new home for sport

Pickleball players are everywhere.

Now, a $225 million investment announced Friday establishes Pickleball, Inc., a dedicated home to manage America’s fastest-growing sport. 

The deal merged Major League Pickleball and the Carvana PPA Tour, two of the nascent sport’s most active entities, under the new parent company, the organizations said in a statement.

MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani said the capital infusion from Apollo Sports Capital “shows without a doubt that pickleball is no longer an emerging sport, and is instead quickly becoming the next tier one sport in America.”

More than 24 million people played pickleball in 2025, a 22% increase from the previous year, according to a Sports & Fitness Industry Association report released in April. Over the past three years, participation in pickleball – invented in Washington state in 1965 – has climbed by more than 171%, making it America’s fastest-growing sport, the report said.

Several celebrities and athletes have also joined the pickleball craze, purchasing teams and supporting players in the hopes of seeing a return on their investment. Super Bowl champion Tom Brady and tennis hall-of-fame star Kim Clijsters purchased a team, as did NBA players LeBron James, Kevin Love and Draymond Green.

More than 150 signed pro-players will be part of Pickleball, Inc. 

The sport’s best players can take home more than $1 million a year through a combination of appearance fees, prize money, and sponsorship deals. Pickleball Inc. said in a statement that its athletes earn a total of more than $33 million in prize money and payouts and earn about $260,000 in annual salary.

For most players, however, the earnings are much smaller, and many hold jobs and play matches part-time.  

In addition to bringing the league and tour under one roof, Pickleball, Inc. also combines technology, retail and infrastructure platforms.