Move over cornhole. It’s pickleball’s turn to be in the spotlight on ESPN.
ESPN – and its network of stations – first became a broadcast partner for the sport of pickleball in 2018, adding yet another layer of legitimacy to the sport we all love!
ESPN3 and the USA Pickleball National Championships
For four consecutive days in early November 2018 – hosted by former tennis grand slam champions Luke and Murphy Jensen – ESPN3 broadcast live coverage of the 2018 Margaritaville USA Pickleball National Championships. This was the first time that pickleball hit it big with live broadcast on ESPN.
ESPN3 and the 2020 Pickleball Mania World Championships
Then, on March 26, 2020, ESPN3 broadcast the Pickleball Mania World Championships featuring Ben Johns, Kyle Yates, Dekel Bar, Adam Stone, Corrine Carr, and Vivienne David.
ESPN and the PPA
In June, 2020, the Pro Pickleball Association – a newly created pickleball tour with significant prize money – announced an agreement with ESPN which results in all PPA tournaments being broadcast live on ESPN3.
The broadcast agreement included the Underground Invitational in Fort Myers, FL, the 2020 Showcase at Newport Beach, the 2020 Georgia Open, and the 2020 PPA Championships in Las Vegas – as well as all future PPA tournaments in 2021.
It’s an exciting time for pickleball! Everyone sing along, ♫ ♫ DaDaDa DaDaDa ♫ ♫
For more tournament tips be sure to check out our pickleball tournament page.
See you on the courts!
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