In the News

Although they have different recollections of how they met and fell in love, professional pickleball stars Parris Todd and Hunter Johnson have more experience than anyone when it comes to surviving and thriving as partners on the pickleball court.  In the following video, the couple - who was just featured alongside Catherine O’Hara and Willem Dafoe in a Michelob Ultra Super Bowl Commercial…

In a watershed moment for the growth of pickleball at colleges and universities across the country, The Collegiate Pickleball Tour begins 2025 as a joint venture between the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) and the United Pickleball Association (UPA). The collaboration will elevate collegiate pickleball through new opportunities for athletes as well as a generous…

DALLAS, January 27, 2025 - Australian pickleball stars Tom Evans & Helena Spiridis have signed exclusive contracts with the United Pickleball Association in the United States - which consists of the Carvana PPA Tour (PPA Tour) and Major League Pickleball (MLP). As the premier entities of professional pickleball, the PPA Tour and MLP have exclusive…

DALLAS, TX, July 18, 2024 - The United Pickleball Association (UPA), the leader in growing, organizing, and presenting professional and amateur pickleball, has announced a new series of international events that will expand the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball’s reach via a united international competition circuit. The events will also bring many of the…

New Partners Highlighted by Beverage, Health, and Wellness Brands MLP by Margaritaville (MLP) today announced new partnership agreements with seven national companies, who become official league sponsors starting with the 2024 season: Each of the new partners will activate at a select number of MLP’s 11-event 2024 schedule. Blueberries, promoted by the U.S. Highbush Blueberry…

The leading professional pickleball organizations the Carvana PPA Tour (“PPA Tour”) and MLP by Margaritaville (“MLP”) announced today the completion of their previously announced merger and the formation of a unified and definitive professional pickleball holding company. The consolidation of the two entities is backed by a $75 million investment from private equity firm SC…

Multi-Year Agreement to Feature The Botanist at League Events Throughout 2023 and 2024 Major League Pickleball and The Botanist Islay Dry Gin have partnered to announce an exciting new multi-year agreement marking the league’s first Official Gin Partnership. This partnership pairs The Botanist, one of the top high-end gins in the market, with Major League…

Multi-Year Agreement to Feature Nobilo Sauvignon Blanc Being Sold at MLP Events,Beginning with League’s 2023 Season 2 Kickoff – MLP Atlanta – Sept. 21-24 Major League Pickleball (MLP) and Nobilo Wines have joined forces to announce an exciting new multi-year agreement making this amazing Sauvignon Blanc the league’s first Official Wine Partner. MLP’s rapid business…

Merger of Two Largest Pro Pickleball Organizations Is Backed By $50M Investment Led By Private Equity Firm SC Holdings and Financier/MLP Team Owner Al Tylis, Along with PPA Tour Owner Tom Dundon and Various MLP Team Owners Today, leading professional pickleball organizations MLP by Margaritaville (MLP) and Carvana PPA Tour (PPA Tour) announced an agreement…

Since its founding in 2021, a main pillar of Major League Pickleball’s overall mission has been - and remains - to create the best possible culture, atmosphere, and opportunity for professional pickleball players throughout the MLP ecosystem. To date, that vision has focused on staging best-in-class MLP events with amazing energy and the most player-friendly…

DePietro and Popko Will Bring Dynamic Experience to MLP as League Positions Itself for Future Growth and Business Development MLP by Margaritaville (MLP) today announced two new members of the league’s executive leadership team, Chief Executive Officer Julio DePietro and Chief Operating Officer Bruce Popko. They will leverage their experience in finance, media, and sports…

OS1st - Exclusive and Official Sock and Compression Sleeve of MLP - and Sunday Swagger - Official Polo Shirt of MLP - Join as MLP Partners Imperial Becomes Official Licensed Headwear of MLP MLP by Margaritaville (MLP) today announced partnership agreements with four national companies as official league sponsors or licensees - Toyota Prius, OS1st,…

Tennis Channel to Showcase Challenger Level Super Finals, Monday, June 19, and Sunday Championships of Both MLP SAN CLEMENTE Events Live Event Coverage to Also Be Provided by T2, Tennis Channel Streaming, and MLP’s Official YouTube Channel Major League Pickleball today announced linear and streaming distribution partners for the remainder of the league’s 2023 live…

INFLUENCER AND CELEBRITY OWNERS TO HELP MLP EXPAND TO YOUNG, DIGITAL-FIRST, AND GLOBAL AUDIENCES Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville) today announced world-class additions to its fleet of 24 team ownership groups, highlighted by social media influencers Dude Perfect (Frisco, TX franchise), star pro athletes Jayson Tatum, Haley Jones, and Josh Allen (Los Angeles Mad Drops), Jewell Loyd and Zach LaVine (Miami Pickleball Club), and…

Pickle Pro Labs (“PPL”) was retained by Major League Pickleball (“MLP”) and Professional Pickleball Association (“PPA”) to conduct previously announced joint testing of players' paddles at the MLP event in Daytona, Florida, March 23-26, 2023. For the sake of the game, the players, the paddle manufacturers, MLP and the PPA – and until proper guidelines,…

Major League Pickleball (MLP by Margaritaville), the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour), and USA Pickleball today announced a new collaboration and partnership to implement "best in class" equipment compliance testing standards, with the first full joint testing taking place at MLP's Daytona Beach event, March 23-26. The three organizations are committed to creating an…

With just five days left until MLP Mesa from January 26th - 29th, we’re excited to share our schedule for the full four-day event. Given the expansion to twenty-four teams, we’ve got you covered with a summary of the new gameplay format followed by a breakout of both Challenger and Premier Level schedules.

Major League Pickleball announces final two teams of league, St. Louis Shock and Orlando Squeeze, with ownership groups led by the Chaifetz and Devos families respectively. Both teams join league ahead of first tournament of 2023 season.NFL star, Odell Beckham Jr, joins D.C. Pickleball Team ownership groupLeague finalizes four new corporate sponsors for 2023 season…

PATRICK MAHOMES, NAOMI OSAKA, NICK KYRGIOS, DEVIN BOOKER, JEREMY LIN, LARRY FITZGERALD, JUSTIN VERLANDER, MESUT ӦZIL, CHRIS EVERT, HEIDI KLUM, EVA LONGORIA, KATE UPTON, DIERKS BENTLEY, AND MARK CUBAN New owners reflect MLP by Margaritaville’s strategy of attracting a diverse community to pickleball and reaching different audiences and markets Teams will start the 2023 season…

MLP will collaborate with global leading lifestyle brand to elevate the live experience for fans, players and MLP events nationwide‍. Major League Pickleball and Margaritaville today announced title sponsorship of the fast-growing professional pickleball league, branding the league as “MLP by Margaritaville.

We are proud to announce that Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour’s VIBE Pickleball League have agreed to a strategic merger to unify the sport of pickleball as a global, co-ed, team-based league featuring the greatest players, biggest events, and visionary owners. This league will continue to live under the “Major League Pickleball” brand…

America’s leading brewer enters ownership space in new Major League Pickleball expansion team for 2023 season NEW YORK, New York – Anheuser-Busch, one of the largest and most influential sport sponsors in the U.S., is building on its commitment to bringing fans closer to the sports they love with the purchase of a Major League Pickleball…

Life Time to host multiple MLP tour events during 2023 season and adopt DUPR as official rating system. Chanhassen, Minn. — Nearly five million people are now playing pickleball according to the latest data from the Sports and Fitness Industry Association and today, Major League Pickleball (MLP) and DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) announced a…

AUSTIN, TX., – NBA Star Kevin Durant and entrepreneur Rich Kleiman’s Thirty Five Ventures (35V) has purchased a Major League Pickleball (MLP) expansion team, set to compete in the 2023 MLP season. 35V's infrastructure of seasoned sports and entertainment executives represents a significant addition to the league as its newest strategic partners.  “35V is committed to…

Austin, TX., – An ownership group headlined by 5-time NFL Super Bowl MVP quarterback and entrepreneur Tom Brady and Former World No.1 tennis player Kim Clijsters has purchased an expansion team for the 2023 Major League Pickleball (MLP) season. The group, led by Knighthead Capital Management, LLC, includes co-founder of Knighthead Tom Wagner, acclaimed producer Matt Alvarez, Wall Street…

Dear Friends, I wanted to take this opportunity on World Pickleball Day, to announce the '40 By 30 Project,' an initiative which aims to spread the joy of Pickleball to forty million people by the year 2030.   I embrace this, not as the founder of MLP, but as someone who has seen first-hand the power pickleball…

It’s here - your inside scoop to all things Major League Pickleball! The first episode of our new, weekly podcast, “Inside MLP," hosted by Tyson Apostol, Michelle McMahon, and Casey Patterson is available now. Each week we'll discuss all the latest news in Major League Pickleball. Anything from player updates, ownership news, to MLP partnerships, etc. We'll also interview…

Major League Pickleball (MLP) continued to elevate the sport earlier this summer, bringing an innovative pickleball statistics company, 002Stats, to provide live statistics and insights for its latest competition in Newport Beach, California. Immediate game results stats were delivered to the broadcast crew and detailed boxscore stats were provided to team owners and captains.  Individual…

AUSTIN, Texas – Major League Pickleball (MLP) announced today an agreement with Knockaround, the original, affordable sunglasses and lifestyle brand out of San Diego, to be the Official Sunglasses of MLP.As part of Knockaround's multi-year sponsorship, the brand will immerse itself at all MLP events, including through on-site activation spaces, signage and hospitality opportunities, as…

Austin, TX – Major League Pickleball (MLP), the elite pickleball league showcasing the world’s best professional pickleball players in a unique mixed-gender team format, today announced its full line-up of teams, owners, events, and sponsors, as it prepares to kickstart its second season at MLP 2022 Austin from June 3rd-5th.  In addition to Austin, additional MLP…

Major League Pickleball announced during the 2022 Live Draft Reveal Show that the prize money for 2022 would exceed $100,000 for the winning 4-player team in each of the 3 events.  That means each player on the winning team will walk away with $25,000 each, by far the biggest prize money in pickleball history. “MLP…

New York – Gary Vaynerchuk, recently announced as a new Major League Pickleball (MLP), Team Owner, has confirmed his MLP team name as The 5s, a homage to Gary’s favorite number. Additionally, Vaynerchuk has confirmed Ryan Harwood as General Manager (GM) of The 5s. Harwood, a former Division 1 Player / Captain for University of…

MLP Draft will be revealed via livestream from The USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center, Flushing Meadows, NYC, May 28th, 2022; First 2022 MLP Team Competition to take place at Dreamland, Dripping Springs, Texas, June 3 – 5 with CBS Sports Network Set to Exclusively Televise Finals on June 5AUSTIN, Texas (March 29, 2022) –…

The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) has also announced increased prize pools for players competing in APP events as part of the APP’s unveiling of its 2022 event schedule, amplifying the shared commitment of both MLP and APP to support the careers of professional pickleball players as the sport continues its accelerated growth in the USA…

The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) today announced the establishment of a strategic partnership between the two organizations. Details of the partnership, including an exciting, new 2022 competition and events schedule, and financial structures and appearance fees for professionals, will be released during the APP’s 2021 season-ending tournament in Boca…