It’s only January but it’s already raining pickleball events. The World Pickleball League (WPBL), a franchise-based tournament featuring six teams, is set to take place in Mumbai from January 24. Right after that, Global Sports will kickstart its Indian Open League and Pro and Challenger Leagues in Mumbai featuring 10 teams in February.
According to the All-India Pickleball Association (AIPA), there are over 1 lakh recreational pickleball players in India and about 10,000 competitive players. That makes India the second-largest pickleball market globally after the US. Obviously, brands want a slice of the action. The World Pickleball Championship in Mumbai last year had sponsors such as Skechers, ITC Bingo and DCB Bank. Kavita Chaturvedi, chief operating officer, snacks business at ITC Foods, says ITC Bingo has a five-year association with AIPA and seeks to be part of the sport’s growth story. “We are organising college tournaments across 23 states, and cultivating a new generation of players. Pickleball is relatively new in India, which gives us a unique opportunity to play a role in shaping its development,” explains Chaturvedi.
The sponsorship fees for players who represented India at international tournaments last year was to the tune of `2-3 crore annually. The upcoming WPBL also has brands like Swiggy and PNG Jewellers on board. Sony Entertainment Talent Ventures India and Natekar Sports and Gaming have committed an investment of $10 million in the WPBL over the next three to five years.
The number of pickleball players in the country is likely to reach 10 lakhs in the next five years, estimates AIPA. “The growth story is not merely restricted to major metros but also smaller cities like Surat, Jaipur, Pune and Raipur,” says Arvind Prabhoo, president, AIPA. Presently, advertisers in India are focused on supporting local events to gain traction and grow the player base. They are also sponsoring tournaments to increase brand visibility, says Sudharshan Anandkumar, co-founder of digital marketing firm, Ting.
A major draw for players is the perception of big prize money. When India hosted the Bainbridge Cup in 2022, the prize money was a cool $50,000. In the Global Sports pickleball league, 10 teams are competing for $1,25,000.
India has followed pickeball’s global growth trajectory. The sport was valued at an estimated $1.9 billion in 2023 and is expected to reach $7.9 billion by 2033. Hemal Jain, founder, Global Sports Pickleball, explains just how quickly the sport has grown in the last two years. “We hosted the first pickleball tournament in 2023 in Goa, in which 250 players participated. Last year, participation more than doubled to 600 players and this year, we are at almost 1,200 players in the Indian Open League,” says Jain.
That said, pickleball sponsorship fees are clearly nowhere compared with established prime properties like the Ultimate Kho Kho, let alone the Indian Premier League. But as Jigar Rambhia, head of Fuse India (Omnicom’s sports and entertainment agency) points out, that is not unexpected for a relatively new sport.
For the sport to take off, it needs certain vital drivers. “The first is acknowledgement by the sports ministry, which would pave the way for structured development,” says Rambhia. “The second is for a prominent broadcaster to amplify the sports’ reach, attracting significant investment.” Currently, it’s more of a player-focused sport than a spectator-driven one. With increased viewership and exposure from broadcast, more brands will naturally follow, bringing the much-needed funding to elevate the sport.