ESPN and the Professional Pickleball Association Reach Agreement to Cover Eight Tournaments in 2023

ESPN and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association have reached an agreement to cover eight tournaments in 2023.

What’s Happening:

  • ESPN and the Carvana Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour) today announced an agreement to broadcast eight PPA Tour tournaments this year beginning with the OS1st North Carolina Open this Sunday, May 7. The events will feature top pickleball athletes competing at renown venues across the country for the biggest payouts in the sport.
  • Full details of the 2023 Carvana PPA Tour schedule are available at PPA Tour.
  • The PPA Tour will produce coverage of its events in association with ESPN.

Date

Time

Tournament

Platform

May 7

6 p.m.

OS1st North Carolina Open

ESPN2

June 4

5 p.m.

Selkirk Texas Open

ESPN (live)

June 23

2 p.m.

Select Medical Orange County Cup

ESPN2

July 3

7 p.m.

Select Medical Orange County Cup

ESPN

July 15

2 p.m.

Denver Open

ESPN2 (live)

July 23

5 p.m.

Denver Open

ESPN

July 29

12 noon

Baird Wealth Management Seattle Open

ESPN (live)

Nov 12

4 p.m.

USA Pickleball National Championships (Dallas)

ESPN (live)

What They’re Saying:

  • Tim Bunnell, Senior Vice President of Programming and Acquisitions, ESPN: “As pickleball continues its meteoric rise, and as fans are increasingly excited about watching televised competitions, we’re thrilled to serve up ESPN coverage of some of PPA’s key 2023 tournaments, starting with this weekend’s North Carolina Open.”
  • Connor Pardoe, CEO of the PPA Tour: “Feeding the overwhelming demand for world-class pickleball content is an integral part of what we do and is something ESPN is helping us to accomplish. Pickleball is a sport with global appeal, an insatiable fan base, and endless opportunity. Our broadcast partnership with ESPN is another resounding indicator of that.”

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Tony Betti
Originally from California where he studied a dying artform (hand-drawn animation), Tony has spent most of his adult life in the theme parks of Orlando. When he’s not writing for LP, he’s usually watching and studying something animated or arguing about “the good ole’ days” at the parks.