APP-New Belgium Extension Announcement

The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) announced New Belgium will return as an official partner of the APP in 2023. New Belgium’s renewal will see the brand embedded in the APP Tour throughout 2023, including on-site activations in Mesa, Sacramento, Cincinnati, San Jose and San Diego.

New Belgium is currently the fastest-growing craft brewer in America. The company is well known for its flagship beer, Fat Tire, which was introduced in 1991 and has since established itself as a craft icon and one of America’s most popular beers. When New Belgium initially partnered with the APP in March 2022, it marked its place as the first beer brand to sponsor a professional pickleball tour.

As part of New Belgium’s elevated partnership with the APP, the brand will immerse itself in the APP Tour with sampling of Fat Tire at select venues and additional in-venue branding and visibility at key tournaments including signage and social media promotion. New Belgium will be included in APP Tour broadcast productions – which includes a combined 20 hours of televised coverage across CBS Sports Network and ESPN2 for all 16 2023 APP Tour events, plus more than 200 hours of livestream coverage on ESPN+ and APPTV. 

New Belgium served as an official sponsor of several APP tournaments in 2022, including the APP’s largest event of the season – the APP Franklin New York City Open in Flushing Meadows, New York. It also served as a sponsor for the APP Tour events in Atlanta, Chicago, Houston and Hilton Head. 

“We’re excited to continue to support the APP Tour and its pro and amateur athletes,” said Joanna Laubscher, Community Marketing Manager at New Belgium. “For so many—us included—there’s nothing more refreshing than a cold beer after a long day on the court. Fat Tire has been providing that moment of refreshment to pickleball players for years, and we look forward to continuing the tradition for years to come.” 

“It gives us great pleasure to extend our partnership with New Belgium,” commented Tom Webb, APP Chief Marketing Officer. “New Belgium prides itself on being a Human-Powered Business where the people come first, a virtue the APP wholeheartedly supports in its own practices. Pickleball is a sport for all people, and our shared passion for people makes us proud to partner with an organization like New Belgium. On top of it all, the nation’s fastest-growing craft brewer continues to join forces with the nation’s fastest-growing sport.”