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☆ Major League Pickleball and PPA Tour complete long-awaited merger
▼ + stars: | 2024-02-29 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association have completed their long-awaited merger agreement and infused new capital into the sport, the leagues announced Thursday. The agreement comes after months of drama, hostility and negotiations between the competing pickleball leagues as they now join forces to determine the future of professional pickleball. "Today is an exciting day for everyone involved or interested in the world of pickleball," said PPA Tour founder and CEO Connor Pardoe. The merger will bring together more than 150 professional pickleball players, including many top-ranked players in the world. The PPA Tour features individual bracket-style tour, while MLP is a team-based format.

Persons: Lacy Schneemann, Major League Pickleball, Al Tylis, Tom Dundon, Connor Pardoe, haven't, Bruce Popko, Steve Kuhn, Julian DePietro, Brooks Wiley Organizations: Florida, League Pickleball, BLQK, Major League, Professional Pickleball Association, PPA, MLP, SC Holdings, D.C, Pickleball Team, CNBC, CNBC PRO Locations: Columbus , Ohio

☆ Major League Pickleball merger with PPA is back on after a falling out threatened the deal
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-13 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Lacy Schneemann of the Florida Smash returns a shot during a group play Major League Pickleball match against BLQK at Pickle & Chill on October 15, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. After weeks of drama in professional pickleball, the PPA Tour and Major League Pickleball have again agreed to merge, the leagues said Wednesday. "As professional pickleball continues to rapidly grow, we could not be more excited to provide both players and fans with the clarity and consistency of a unified professional pickleball organization," Major League Pickleball founder Steve Kuhn said in a statement. On the professional level, Major League Pickleball teams values have skyrocketed, with some teams going for $10 million. Major League Pickleball owners include many high profile athletes from LeBron James and Kevin Durant to Tom Brady and Patrick Mahomes.

Persons: Lacy Schneemann, League Pickleball, Tom Dundon, pickleball, Steve Kuhn, Kuhn, Dundon, LeBron James, Kevin Durant, Tom Brady, Patrick Mahomes Organizations: Florida, League Pickleball, BLQK, PPA, League, SC Holdings, MLP, pickleball, Major League Pickleball Locations: Columbus , Ohio

☆ Tom Brady will be a strategic adviser to Delta
▼ + stars: | 2023-09-06 | by ( Nathaniel Meyersohn | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +2 min

New York CNN —Tom Brady has a new employer: Delta Air Lines. The seven-time Super Bowl champion is expanding his post-NFL career business ventures, joining Delta to work on internal employee training and appear in external advertising campaigns. Delta said Wednesday that Brady would become a “strategic adviser” to the airline. Brady will partner with Delta to develop and advise on “teamwork tools” for the airline’s more than 90,000 employees and take part in select marketing campaigns, the company said. Brady founded health and wellness company TB12 Sports and also owns a media company and the Brady Brand clothing line.

Persons: Tom Brady, Delta, Brady, ”, “, Ed Bastian’s, Allen Adamson, ” Brady, Adamson, BlackBerry, Alicia Keys, will.i.am, Lady Gaga, Beyoncé Knowles, Brady Brand Organizations: New, New York CNN, Delta Air Lines, NFL, Delta, Intel, Polaroid, Adidas, TB12 Sports, British soccer, Birmingham City, League Pickleball, Fox Sports Locations: New York, Delta

As valuations for National Basketball Association and National Football League teams have leaped beyond the reach of even some billionaires, pickleball offers, by comparison, a more affordable opportunity. Valuations of pickleball teams reportedly range anywhere from $1 million to $10 million. Pickleball proponents say the sport will eventually develop its own celebrity players. He pointed out that while pingpong has long been played by millions of people in multiple countries, it hasn’t become a commercial success. “I think that pickleball is going to confront some of the same issues,” he said.

Persons: pickleball, ”, Patrick Rishe, St . Louis, it’s, David Levy, Levy, Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, ” Andrew Zimbalist, DealBook, pingpong, hasn’t, “ Organizations: National Basketball Association and National Football League, Washington, Washington University, Turner, Horizon, ESPN, Smith College Locations: St .

☆ Tom Brady becomes minority owner of second-tier British soccer team Birmingham City
▼ + stars: | 2023-08-03 | by ( Ben Morse | ) edition.cnn.com time to read: +3 min

CNN —NFL great Tom Brady has joined a partnership to become a minority owner in second-tier British soccer team Birmingham City, it was announced on Thursday. Birmingham City finished 17th in the second-tier of English football’s pyramid, the Championship, last season. Birmingham City finished 17th in the second-tier of English football’s pyramid, the Championship, last season. “Tom Brady joining the Birmingham City team is a statement of intent. With Garry Cook as CEO, Hope Powell as Women’s Technical Director and now Tom Brady we are off to a fast start.

Persons: Tom Brady, Brady, ” Brady, Tony Marshall, I’ve, “ Tom Brady, ” Tom Wagner, “ Tom, Tom, Garry Cook, Hope Powell Organizations: CNN, NFL, British, Birmingham City, Knighthead Capital Management, Board, League Pickleball, Le, Club, Academy, Blues, Women’s, Birmingham City’s, Swansea, Saturday Locations: Birmingham

☆ Major League Pickleball founder looks to capitalize on the sport's growing 'cool' factor
▼ + stars: | 2023-07-26 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

One of the sport's biggest boosters is Steve Kuhn, a former hedge fund manager who founded Major League Pickleball. "I think there was a time when pickleball was considered a sport that was not really a sport. The billionaire, who lives in Austin, has gotten the pro league off the ground by growing the business with sponsorships, media deals and expansion teams. Major League Pickleball teams today are going for as much as $10 million. Professional Pickleball can be seen on almost every major television network and many streamers.

Persons: pickleball, Steve Kuhn, Kuhn, Kevin Durant, Lebron James, Tom Brady Organizations: League Pickleball, America, Major League Pickleball Locations: Austin

☆ Billionaire Marc Lasry, who sold his stake in the Milwaukee Bucks, sees pickleball offering a better return than investment in the NBA
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-17 | by ( Carla Mozée | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +2 min

Marc Lasry said his investments in pickleball and other upstart sports leagues could offer a higher return than those in NBA teams. The co-founder of Avenue Capital Group bought a pickleball team with tennis star James Blake for $100,000 in 2021. He told Bloomberg TV that the team is now worth $10 million. The co-founder of Avenue Capital Group told Bloomberg Television he believes his investments in pickleball and other upstart sports leagues could offer a higher return than those in NBA teams. This year, the 63-year-old investor agreed to sell his 25% stake in the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team.

☆ Pickleball popularity explodes, with more than 36 million playing
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-05 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +6 min

The latest numbers unveiled in the 2023 APP Pickleball Participation report, via a study conducted by YouGov, shows that 14% of Americans played pickleball at least once in that 12-month period. The real dillAcross the country, tennis courts and being replaced, and pickleball courts are moving in as other investors are shoring up big money. Since 2022, Life Time has constructed indoor and outdoor pickleball courts at a rate of five new permanent courts each week. "Pickleball participation [at Life Time] in a given month has risen from about 16,000 people to like 160,000. Major League Pickleball and the Professional Pickleball Association took notice and they have partnered with Life Time to host multiple tournaments across the country this year.

☆ Major League Pickleball's newest team owner is Anheuser-Busch
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-08 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

Zane Navratil and Parris Todd of BLQK celebrate a point during a group play Major League Pickleball match against the Florida Smash at Pickle & Chill on October 15, 2022 in Columbus, Ohio. Major League Pickleball has named its newest team owner, and it's a major beer brand. The rapidly growing sports league announced on Tuesday that Anheuser-Busch will purchase a Major League Pickleball team. Anheuser-Busch is the first Fortune 500 company to purchase an MLP team. Major League Pickleball also sees the partnership as a big win.

☆ Kevin Durant is the latest athlete to buy a Major League Pickleball team
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Brooklyn Nets star Kevin Durant is the latest celebrity athlete taking his love of pickleball big league. In recent weeks, Major League Pickleball has signed on a number of big-name athlete owners, including basketball legend LeBron James and NFL stars Tom Brady and Drew Brees. In September, a viral video showed Durant playing pickleball at a local recreation center, declaring that he's "getting the hang of it." Kleiman told CNBC that by acquiring a team, owners also get equity in the league. Similar to his work with 35V's "Build It and They Will Ball" initiative, which has refurbished basketball courts globally, Durant plans to bring pickleball to underserved communities.

☆ NBA's Durant latest high-profile athlete to invest in pickleball
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-20 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +1 min

Oct 20 (Reuters) - Two-time NBA champion and former league Most Valuable Player Kevin Durant on Thursday became the latest high-profile athlete to buy a Major League Pickleball (MLP) expansion team. The Brooklyn Nets forward and business partner Rich Kleiman announced that their Thirty Five Ventures (35V) firm purchased a pickleball team that is set to compete in the 2023 MLP season. "We're especially excited about their plans to bring pickleball to underserved communities – something they have done with basketball for years." Other MLP team owners and partners include four-time NBA champion LeBron James, Super Bowl-winning quarterbacks Tom Brady and Drew Brees as well as former world number one tennis player Kim Clijsters. Register now for FREE unlimited access to Reuters.com RegisterReporting by Frank Pingue in TorontoOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

But there are fans of another court-based sport that are greeting the news with much less enthusiasm: tennis players. In apartment complexes and retirement centers across the country, tennis courts are being scrapped in favor of pickleball courts. Its courts are similar to tennis courts, just smaller, so many players repurpose tennis courts with chalk or paint to lay out the pickleball dimensions. Yet dozens of new dedicated pickleball courts are being built all over America, which will soon help ease the problem of overcrowding. So for any tennis players out there worried that pickleball will demolish your own game’s success, you can rest easy.

☆ LeBron James Is Buying a Professional Pickleball Team
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Joseph De Avila | ) www.wsj.com time to read: 1 min

Even LeBron James is getting caught up in the pickleball craze. Mr. James and his business partner Maverick Carter have joined a group of investors that include NBA players Draymond Green and Kevin Love to purchase a Major League Pickleball expansion team, the league said Wednesday.

☆ LeBron James is a pickleball fan. And now he's buying a team
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-28 | by ( Jessica Golden | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

LeBron James, the king of basketball courts, is one of the newest owners of a professional pickleball team. "When I started playing pickleball, I immediately connected with the sport's community and its capacity to be both fun and competitive," Carter told CNBC in an interview. "We had this immediate connection over their passion for playing pickleball, their passion for growing pro pickleball grassroots. Worcester said the demand for owning a pickleball team is high with more than 60 different groups expressing interest. "Yes, we would welcome LeBron or Draymond or Kevin Love to think about playing," Worcester said laughing.

☆ A day in the life of Ryan Serhant, a celebrity broker who's about to list NYC's most expensive home for more than $200 million
▼ + stars: | 2022-09-03 | by ( Zoe Rosenberg | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +11 min

The reality-TV star rose to fame on "Million Dollar Listing New York" as an agent to the wealthy. It's a habit he's had since the early days of "Million Dollar Listing New York." It was heavy-weights day, Serhant said, working the entire back of his body. The call's over and Serhant heads into new-agent interviews. 8 p.m.Zena's asleep, so Serhant heads down to his home office and works on getting his inbox to zero for the day.

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