Will viewers, advertisers be game for pickleball?

Pickleball's popularity surges in India post-pandemic, attracting players from all walks of life and leading to new leagues and tournaments nationwide.

Tiger Shroff plays it. So does Aryan Khan. Homemakers in Ahmedabad play it, as do CEOs in Mumbai. Even the Bigg Boss contestants pick up the paddle in their free time on the sets of the reality TV show, reinforcing the rising popularity of pickleball, the racquet sport that blends facets of table tennis, badminton and tennis.

Even the Bigg Boss contestants pick up the paddle in their free time on the sets of the reality TV show(unsplash)

Note the speed at which pickleball courts are sprouting. Several elite private clubs are making space for pickleball courts. Affluent homes in smaller towns, typically constructed on larger land parcels, are including pickleball courts on their premises. Five-star hospitality chains are adding them in their hotels and real-estate developers are offering pickleball facilities in their high-end residential projects.

“In the US, pickleball zoomed 3-4 years ago. In India, its moment in the sun has come post-pandemic with people from south Delhi and south Mumbai to families in Nagpur and Indore, playing it,” said sports marketing expert Indranil Das Blah.

Yet the game is not new to India. It has been promoted for the last 15 years by the All India Pickleball Association (AIPA) which invested in developing local talent and pickleball tournaments. But it has been in the spotlight since AIPA successfully held the first World Pickleball Championship in Mumbai in November with participants from 16 countries.

Additionally, India will see the inaugural season of the commercial pickleball league being played in Mumbai from January 24. The WPBL has six city-based team franchises with team owners including southern star Samantha Ruth Prabhu, Bollywood actors Riteish and Genelia Deshmukh, tennis player Ashok Amritraj and Terra Invest, and online food service Swiggy.

Blah, a strategic advisor to WPBL, admitted that setting up a new league in a cricket crazy country is challenging but added the enthusiasm to owning teams reflects the traction of pickleball. “We went to Swiggy for sponsorship but instead it invested in a team. It shows the pull of the game,” said Blah. AIPA has given the WPBL rights to former tennis player Gaurav Natekar’s firm NSG (Natekar Sports and Gaming) with Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India investing in the league.

Sandeep Dahiya, founder and CEO of Brandquila Brand Ventures, which is advising AIPA on branding and marketing pickleball, said in recent history no other sport has seen such a rapid ascent. “The entry barriers are low. The game is age and gender agnostic. Pickleball takes only half the size of a tennis court and it is not expensive to pursue,” Dahiya said.

Over the years, AIPA has picked and trained athletes for pickleball from the grassroots. “Prize money from tournaments has kept their interest in the game alive,” said Dahiya. The urban rich, however, play to stay fit and socialize. Clearly, pickleball’s appeal is not limited.

But with the commercial league starting this month, will pickleball attract viewers and advertisers required to succeed?

AIPA said November’s World Pickleball Championship (WPC) reached 53 million households through Prasar Bharati’s sports channel on DD Freedish and via the streaming platform Muzi Sports. Skechers was on board as kit partner and ITC’s snack brand Bingo! as the title sponsor for WPC.

However, adman Abhijit Avasthi who runs Sideways Consulting said pickleball is picking up in small ways but nowhere near attracting any advertiser interest. “People might want to wait and watch to see if it’s a sport worth associating with for the long run. For many it’s not even a sport but community entertainment. Let’s see how it shapes up,” he said.

While WPBL has a broadcast and streaming partner, Blah agreed that pickleball may not be a TV-friendly sport. “It is more intimate and played in a smaller court. We plan to build it as a great on-ground event,” Blah said.

Indians are spending on live experiences as is evident from the ticket sales to events like ColdPlay concert, Lollapalooza or Sunburn. “These are not aired but sponsors pay good money to associate with them. We plan to build WPBL as a really cool, aspirational, lifestyle property,” said Blah, not underestimating the value of TV viewership. “I am not saying people will not watch it on TV. Its economics will change once pickleball is recognized by the government and as an Olympic sport,” he said.