Apollo Sports Capital and Tom Dundon make landmark $225 million investment in pickleball

LivestreamMenuMake ItselectUSAINTLLivestreamSearch quotes, news & videosLivestreamWatchlistSIGN INCreate free accountMarketsBusinessInvestingTechPoliticsVideoWatchlistInvesting ClubPROLivestreamMenu Sign up today for the CNBC Sport Newsletter Pickleball Inc., the new parent company of Major League Pickleball and the PPA Tour, said Friday it has raised a record $225 million in new investment, as the paddle sport continues its rapid growth trajectory. The latest investment comes from Apollo Global Management's newly created sports fund, Apollo Sports Capital, and Dundon Capital Partners, owned by billionaire Tom Dundon. Dundon is an owner of the Portland Trail Blazers NBA team and the Carolina Hurricanes NHL team and was an early investor in pickleball. The fresh funds bring the total investment in Pickleball Inc. to $315 million, as investors continue to look at emerging sports as a place to park their money. The raise values Pickleball Inc. at $750 million, according to a person familiar with the matter, who asked to remain unnamed because they were not authorized to speak publicly about the company's valuation. The deal also includes rolling up several pickleball assets under the Pickleball Inc. umbrella, creating what the company called the largest pickleball ecosystem to date. Pickleball Inc. will take on a portfolio of pickleball assets previously owned by Dundon, including Pickleball Central, a leading site for pickleball equipment founded in 2006. The portfolio also includes PickleballTournaments.com, software that powers thousands of tournaments across all levels of play, as well as Just Courts, a pickleball court installer. Pickleball Inc.'s newly merged business verticals combined generated over $140 million in 2025 revenue, the company said. In a release, MLP and PPA Tour CEO Connor Pardoe called the new investment a "seismic day" for pickleball's rapidly growing business at all levels. "This investment allows us to fully integrate the sport into one cohesive ecosystem - uniting professional pickleball, consumer goods, technology, and media under a single, unified platform," Pardoe said. Dundon and the Pardoe family will remain majority shareholders in the business after the investment. Pickleball has exploded in popularity in recent years, with more than 24 million U.S. players participating in 2025, making it the fastest growing sport in the country over the last three years, according to the Sports & Fitness Industry Association's Annual Report. At the professional level, the MLP and PPA Tour have seen major growth with a combined $30 million in sponsorship revenue in 2025 and $60 million in combined top line revenue for 2025, according to the United Pickleball Association, which operates both leagues. The MLP and PPA Tour are projecting $74 million in combined revenue in 2026. The new capital for Pickleball Inc. will be used to further integrate the pickleball business at all levels of play and create a streamlined pickleball ecosystem, the company said. "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," MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani 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." The CNBC Sport newsletter with Alex Sherman brings you the biggest news and exclusive interviews from the worlds of sports business and media, delivered weekly to your inbox. U.S. senators ban themselves from prediction markets tradingDan ManganPricey NFL, NBA ownership stakes are pushing investors to smaller leagues and driving valuations higherAlex ShermanSaudi Arabia's PIF to end funding of LIV Golf league after this seasonAlex ShermanRead MoreSubscribe to CNBC PROSubscribe to Investing ClubLicensing & ReprintsCNBC CouncilsJoin the CNBC PanelDigital ProductsNews ReleasesClosed CaptioningCorrectionsAbout CNBCInternshipsSite MapCareersHelpContactNews TipsGot a confidential news tip? We want to hear from you. Sign up for free newsletters and get more CNBC delivered to your inbox Get this delivered to your inbox, and more info about our products and services. © 2026 Versant Media, LLC. All Rights Reserved. A Versant Media Company. Data is a real-time snapshot *Data is delayed at least 15 minutes. Global Business and Financial News, Stock Quotes, and Market Data and Analysis.

Apollo Sports Capital and Tom Dundon make landmark $225 million investment in pickleball

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