September 13, 2023

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The jury is still out as to whether pickleball will be a long-term force as a spectator sport. But the two major properties in U.S. pickleball, the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball, have completed a landmark merger agreement that undoubtedly gives them their best chance for success and eliminates potential conflicts over schedules and players.

Meanwhile, the WNBA playoffs begin Wednesday night amid continuing growth for the league, and the NBA’s Oklahoma City Thunder look to solidify their downtown presence in a new arena.

— Eric Fisher [[link removed]]

Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour Unite With $50M Backing [[link removed]]

Andy Abeyta / USA TODAY NETWORK

The major forces in professional U.S. pickleball are finally coming together.

Major League Pickleball is merging with the PPA Tour with a new $50 million investment to fuel the new entity.

The brands will remain distinct, but the merger aims to eliminate schedule conflicts and competition over players.

The funding round was led by SC Holdings and MLP team owner Al Tylis, with participation from PPA Tour owner Tom Dundon and other MLP team owners.

“The holding company unifying the PPA Tour and MLP will create a streamlined sport for fans and add more meaningful opportunities for player competition, broadcasting rights, and sponsorship throughout the professional pickleball calendar,” said Dundon.

The two leagues agreed [[link removed]] to a merger last year, but reports emerged last month that the pact was on thin ice.

Rapid Growth

Both pickleball leagues sprung up within the last five years as participation in the racquet sport has surged. In 2022, 8.9 million people played pickleball, according [[link removed]] to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association, an increase of 159% over three years. The US added 130 places to play per month last year, according [[link removed]] to USA Pickleball.

The PPA Tour focuses on individual achievements and rankings, while MLP has attracted a slew of athlete and celebrity team investors, including Tom Brady, LeBron James, Mav Carter, Kevin Durant, Drake, Michael B. Jordan, Patrick Mahomes, Naomi Osaka, Rich Paul, and Gary Vaynerchuk.

Editor’s note: SC Holdings is an investor in Front Office Sports.

WNBA Enters Playoffs With Wave Of Continued Growth [[link removed]]

Joe Camporeale-USA TODAY Sports

The WNBA enters its 2023 playoffs on Wednesday with the momentum of another season that has dynamically boosted its own growth trajectory and that of women’s sports.

Extending a trend over the past several years, the league ended the regular season up 16% in attendance with a per-game average of 6,615 — the WNBA’s highest figure since 2018. With the league’s newly expanded schedule seeing teams play 40 games each, up from 36, total attendance also rose to 1.59 million, the highest total in 13 years.

The defending league champion Las Vegas Aces led the league with a per-game average of 9,551, up by 66% and buttressed by a franchise-record turnout of 17,406 for a game played Sept. 10 at T-Mobile Arena, home of the NHL’s Vegas Golden Knights, instead of their Michelob Ultra Arena.

The league reached 36 million total unique viewers across its national TV partners, up 27% from a year ago and its highest total since 2008. The combined per-game viewership average of 505,000 on ABC, ESPN, and CBS improved 8% from last year. Social media consumption nearly doubled to 373 million views.

The impressive totals extend a multiyear run of growth [[link removed]] for the league that most recently has also driven [[link removed]] new business for the New York Liberty and mirrors the historic levels of growth seen in both domestic [[link removed]] and international [[link removed]] women’s soccer, as well as in tennis [[link removed]] and ice hockey [[link removed]].

Similar to changes introduced [[link removed]] last year, a playoff pool of up to $500,000 will give WNBA players the opportunity to earn up to an additional $20,825 each.

SPONSORED BY FANVEST.IO

The Rise of Fan-Owned Pro Sports Teams

Sports fans are excited about a new phenomenon: fan-owned [[link removed]] pro teams.

The 11th team in a league with growth of over 350% over the last two years is now adding new fan-owners, thanks to the help of Fanvest.io [[link removed]]. Fan investors now have the opportunity to have a voice in important team decisions such as athlete acquisitions and strategic planning. The ownership is not just symbolic, but empowering and fulfilling.

Athletes like Baron Davis and media executives like Charlie Lyons have already committed to the team’s success.

“If fans can participate in a team, make decisions, and get rewarded, that’s just a great way to organize,” Davis said, “This is a great opportunity to kickstart that structure of ownership, and bring the right people to it.”

Learn more [[link removed]] about Fanvest.io and becoming an owner.

Thunder Join Arena Arms Race With $900M Proposal [[link removed]]

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

The Oklahoma City Thunder are the latest pro sports team targeting a new venue with their plans for a project that will cost nearly $1 billion.

Team and city officials have agreed on a proposal to build a $900 million arena downtown that would open in 2029 and be the Thunder’s home for at least the next 25 years.

The team’s current lease at Paycom Center expires in 2026 — an issue contributing to mounting uncertainty [[link removed]] over the future of the franchise. Paycom Center first opened in 2002 and seats 18,000 fans.

To greenlight the proposal — which had been lagging and won’t be formally approved until December — Oklahoma City has committed to publicly fund the majority of the arena, in addition to $50 million from Thunder owner Clay Bennett and other team investors.

“We had a choice to raise taxes or delay the project until 2034,” Oklahoma City mayor David Holt said [[link removed]]. “We wouldn’t have an NBA team if we did that.”

Cities like Las Vegas and Seattle are unabashedly vying for NBA teams as the league considers expansion or current franchises potentially seek new homes.

Will Philadelphia Follow Suit?

The Philadelphia 76ers are another NBA team hoping to build [[link removed]] a new $1.3 billion downtown arena by 2031 — a situation that has caused strife [[link removed]] with their current arena’s landlord. The 76ers play at Wells Fargo Center, which is owned by Comcast Spectacor, in South Philly.

“The trend of downtown arenas continues,” David Adelman, who chairs 76 Devco, posted [[link removed]] on X (formerly known as Twitter), referring to the news of the Thunder’s arena plans.

Conversation Starters NFLPA Executive Director Lloyd Howell is calling [[link removed]] for all NFL stadiums to install natural grass: “While we know there is an investment to making this change, there is a bigger cost to everyone in our business if we keep losing our best players to unnecessary injuries.” Set open in the coming weeks, the $2.5 billion MSG Sphere will host concerts, movies, boxing, MMA, and other fighting events. Take a sneak preview [[link removed]] of the facility. Vince McMahon will earn [[link removed]] roughly $111 million in a one-time dividend from the WWE sale to Endeavor.

SPONSORED BY PRUDENTIAL

Passing the Baton: Future Faces of Tennis

No matter where you are in life, the next chapter is always one page away. For several of tennis’ budding young stars, this means a chance at becoming a face of the game as the tennis landscape pivots towards the future.

In our original series, Now What [[link removed]], presented by Prudential, we highlight stories of athletes across the tennis landscape that are having big moments. Whether you’re starting a family, building a business, or taking off in your professional tennis career, Prudential is here to help you take your game to the next level.

Learn more [[link removed]] about the changing landscape of tennis stardom.*

Editor's Picks Coco Gauff Powers ESPN to Record Viewership for Women’s Final [[link removed]]by A.J. Perez [[link removed]]The American’s first major win garnered more viewers than the men's final. Star Power Drives Liberty Ratings, Ticket and Merchandise Sales [[link removed]]by Andrew Cohen [[link removed]]Liberty e-commerce sales doubled while ticket sales surged 100%. Aaron Rodgers’ Brief Appearance Helps Set ‘MNF’ Record [[link removed]]by Michael McCarthy [[link removed]]Aaron Rodgers helped "Monday Night Football" draw its biggest audience. Careers in Sports

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