What’s the Score?
The World Pickleball League (WPBL) is aggressively targeting the digital-first generation by signing an exclusive streaming partnership with Sony LIV for its upcoming second season. This deal places the WPBL on one of India’s premier Over-The-Top (OTT) platforms, ensuring that high-octane pickleball action is accessible on mobile and connected devices across the region. The partnership is designed to scale the league’s visibility, leveraging Sony LIV’s massive subscriber base to mainstream the sport in the world’s most populous country.
Hit it deeper!
Season 2 of the WPBL is shaping up to be a significantly larger event than its inaugural edition. The league has expanded to feature 120 matches played over 13 days—a substantial increase from the 90 matches played in Season 1. The tournament will showcase a diverse roster of 56 players hailing from 18 different nations, emphasising the “World” in its title.
However, the real story lies in the league’s commercial structure, which mirrors the successful Indian Premier League (IPL) cricket model. The teams are owned by a galaxy of Indian celebrities, including cricket icons Sunil Gavaskar and Rishabh Pant, and film stars Samantha Ruth Prabhu and Riteish Deshmukh. This celebrity backing provides instant cultural relevance and marketing power.
Rajesh Kaul, Chief Revenue Officer at Sony Pictures Networks India, noted that pickleball is “creating a new wave of sports engagement” and established itself as a “strong urban contender” during the first season. The move to Sony LIV is a calculated play to capture this urban, digitally savvy audience. WPBL Founder Gaurav Natekar emphasised that the goal is to reach audiences “where they are today,” which is increasingly on smartphones rather than traditional television. Viewers will have access to live matches, on-demand replays, and behind-the-scenes content, creating an immersive “fan-first” experience.
The World Pickleball Verdict
This partnership could be the catalyst that turns pickleball from a niche participant sport into a mass spectator product in Asia. By locking in a major streamer like Sony LIV and utilising the proven “celebrity franchise” model, the WPBL is bypassing the slow organic growth phase and aiming directly for the mainstream.
The implications are massive. If the WPBL succeeds in capturing even a fraction of India’s sports-viewing audience, it will shift the centre of gravity for the sport’s economy. While the US remains the headquarters of pickleball, initiatives like this suggest that the sport’s future fanbase—and perhaps its future broadcasting revenue models—may increasingly come from the East. The verdict is clear: Pickleball is no longer just a game to be played; it is content to be consumed.
Chris Beaumont is the founder and Editor-in-Chief of World Pickleball Magazine. Chris follows the global game closely, reporting on the latest news, developments, stories and tournaments from all five continents. He also hosts the World Pickleball Podcast, interviewing people at all levels of pickleball. Chris is also an avid player, currently struggling to make the breakthrough from 4.0 to 4.5.