How popular is pickleball , really ?
Recent estimates put the number of annual participants in the U . S . around 50 million . That ’ s the same number of people who swung a golf club in all of 2024 , be it on a course , driving range , indoor simulator or at a popular entertainment destination like Top Golf . Fifty million , give or take , is the number of people who went running last year . It ’ s a few million short of the number of Americans , age 6 or older , who dropped a line in the water and hoped for a bite . It ’ s also — fun fact — right around the number of people who visit America ’ s most popular tourist attraction annually : Times Square , New York City .
It ’ s a staggering number of people . For America ’ s fastest-growing sport , it also represents a staggering amount of moolah .
It ’ s impossible to know just how much cash can be attributed to the rise and proliferation of our new favorite pastime , but there are a few key guardrails that can help point us in the right direction .
To play pickleball , you need a paddle , a ball and a dedicated court . Play a few more times and you ’ ll likely want specialized footwear . Maybe a few new pairs of shorts , socks and tops while you ’ re at it . Soon , you ’ ll need a better paddle . ( Or five .)
About 50 million people play pickleball each year — the same number who visit the most popular tourist attraction in the U . S . annually , New York City ’ s Times Square .
Fifty million pickleball paddles is a lot of moolah . And that ’ s just the tippy top of the iceberg .
Star Power
Like any major sport , pickleball is increasingly relying on celebrity endorsements as a catalyst
Anna Leigh Waters was the sport ’ s for growth . highest-paid
A growing flock of player in 2024 , earning more than
A-listers rank among
$ 3 million . the ownership groups at the professional level , including Tom Brady , LeBron James , Eva Longoria , Michael Phelps , Patrick Mahomes and Gary Vaynerchuk . Drew Brees has become a franchise owner as well as the face of The Picklr nationwide , along with top pros Hayden Patriquin , Anna Bright and Connor Garnett .
On the court , the sport ’ s top names are benefiting from a mix of lucrative contracts — salaries fueled in large part by the arms race that played out between the Professional Pickleball Association ( PPA ) and Major League Pickleball ( MLP )— and brand sponsorship deals .
• James Ignatowich said he pulled in more than $ 1 million in 2024 between his salary and coaching appearances .
• Gabe Tardio recently signed a three-year , $ 800K pro contract , not including performance-based incentives .
• Federico Staksrud is the new face of Adidas Pickleball , with a signature paddle forthcoming .
• Ben Johns revealed to CNBC that he makes $ 2.5 million in salary and endorsement deals .
• Anna Leigh Waters was the sport ’ s highest-paid player in 2024 , earning more than $ 3 million .
Tyson McGuffin has turned his firebrand personality into successful brand deals , including a reality show on YouTube . Most notable , perhaps , is his long-running shoe partner , Skechers , which he has helped propel to pickleball fame through loud signature colors and limited-release collabs with brands like Miller Lite .
“ We love working with Tyson . Beyond his extreme talent on the pickleball court , he ’ s bold , charismatic , and truly believes in the brand ,” says Greg Smith , Skechers
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MARCH / APRIL 2025 | MAGAZINE 33