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Pickleball Inc. Raises $225 Million from Apollo Sports Capital and Dundon Capital Partners

Pickleball Inc., owner of Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour, secured $225 million in new investment, bringing its total to $315 million and valuing the company at $750 million. The deal includes acquisitions of Pickleball Central, PickleballTournaments.com, and Just Courts. This reflects pickleball's growth, with over 24 million U.S. players in 2025.

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4 sources·May 1, 6:51 PM(4 days ago)·1m read
Pickleball Inc. Raises $225 Million from Apollo Sports Capital and Dundon Capital PartnersMarketWatch
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Pickleball Inc. raised $225 million in new investment in early 2026 from Apollo Sports Capital and Dundon Capital Partners. The fresh funds bring the total investment in Pickleball Inc. to $315 million.

A person familiar with the matter said the company is valued at $750 million. Pickleball Inc. owns Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour. com software, and Just Courts, a pickleball court installer.

's merged business verticals generated over $140 million in revenue in 2025, the company said.

U.S. pickleball players in 2025, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association's Annual Report. S.

Ben Johns hit a dink shot against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin in the 2026 PPA Carvana Mesa Cup finals on February 22, 2026, in Mesa, Arizona. Tom Dundon owns the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team and the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team. Dundon and the Pardoe family remain majority shareholders in Pickleball Inc.

"This capital raise will allow us to expand our focus into new and scalable opportunities like content, media, and the development of infrastructure to support our fast growing events," Samin Odhwani, commissioner of Major League Pickleball, said in a statement.

"The continued and dynamic year-over-year growth data has proven without doubt that pickleball is no longer an emerging sport, and is instead quickly becoming the next tier one sport in America," Odhwani added.

Key Facts

Investment Raise
Pickleball Inc. raised $225 million from Apollo Sports Capital and Dundon Capital Partners in early 2026, bringing total to $315 million
Company Valuation
Pickleball Inc. valued at $750 million according to a person familiar with the matter
Revenue Figures
Merged verticals generated over $140 million in 2025; MLP and PPA Tour had $60 million top line and $30 million sponsorship in 2025, projecting $74 million in 2
Sport Growth
Over 24 million U.S. players in 2025, fastest growing sport over last three years
Acquisitions
Deal includes Pickleball Central (founded 2006), PickleballTournaments.com, and Just Courts

Story Timeline

6 events
  1. 2026-05-03

    Current date, with pickleball investment and growth data contextualized as recent

    1 sourcecnbc.com
  2. early 2026

    Pickleball Inc. raised $225 million in new investment

    2 sourcescnbc.com · MarketWatch
  3. 2026-02-22

    Ben Johns hit a dink shot against Anna Bright and Hayden Patriquin in the 2026 PPA Carvana Mesa Cup finals in Mesa, Arizona

    1 sourcecnbc.com
  4. 2025

    Pickleball Inc.'s merged business verticals generated over $140 million in revenue

    1 sourcecnbc.com
  5. 2025

    More than 24 million U.S. pickleball players, fastest growing sport over last three years

    1 sourceSports & Fitness Industry Association's
  6. 2006

    Pickleball Central founded

    1 sourcecnbc.com

Potential Impact

  1. 01

    Strengthened majority ownership by Dundon and Pardoe family

  2. 02

    Expansion of pickleball ecosystem through integration of media, events, and operations

  3. 03

    Further growth in pickleball participation and infrastructure development

  4. 04

    Increased revenue for Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour, projected at $74 million in 2026

  5. 05

    Attraction of more institutional investors to emerging sports

Transparency Panel

Sources cross-referenced4
Framing risk0/100 (low)
Confidence score85%
Synthesized bySubstrate AI
Word count222 words
PublishedMay 1, 2026, 6:51 PM
Bias signals removed4 across 4 outlets
Signal Breakdown
Loaded 1hype 1exaggeration 1sensationalism 1

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