More than 2.6 million people watched top Carvana PPA Tour pros compete across 20+ hours of coverage on ESPN, Tennis Channel and PickleballTV
Dallas (November 21, 2023) – The 2023 edition of the Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships powered by Invited and the PPA Tour will go down as the most successful edition in its history. The event, which took place Nov. 5-12 at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch, an inner-ring suburb of Dallas, saw record-breaking participation, attendance and broadcast viewership, highlighting the biggest pickleball party ever.
Visitors to Pickleball Boulevard more than doubled initial projections, with over 50,000 attendees entering the gates at Brookhaven Country Club in Farmers Branch across the 7-day event. The peak day for attendance came on semifinal Saturday (9,500+), with Sunday selling out Championship Court tickets for the finals more than two weeks in advance. The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown on Tuesday night also saw a capacity crowd, with roughly 3,000 spectators enjoying Dallas sports legends Dirk Nowitzki, Scottie Scheffler, Jason Kidd, Marty Turco and John Isner showing off their pickleball skills with Tony Romo in the broadcast booth.
“We had extremely high expectations for the 2023 National Championships and through the hard work of our team, and with the incredible support of the pickleball and Dallas communities, we were able to shatter those expectations,” said Connor Pardoe, CEO and Founder of the PPA Tour. “Pickleball Boulevard was buzzing with energy all week long, with both longstanding and new fans of pickleball enjoying live music, great food, and of course, the world’s best pickleball. We can’t wait to show how we can continue to grow our fantastic events and set the bar even higher for future iterations.”
A record 3,500+ pro and amateur players from 49 states and Washington D.C. played 6,928 matches over the course of the week. With nearly 3,000 of those coming from out-of-state, the seven Farmers Branch partner hotels all experienced sell-outs, driving significant economic impact for the region.
“We could not have been more delighted to partner with the PPA on the National Championships in Farmers Branch,” said Mayor of Farmers Branch Terry Lynne. “The event was an incredible success for the City, in collaboration with Brookhaven and our corporate partners. We were proud to host the sport’s elite players and pleased that the overall turnout and economic impact were larger than anticipated. It was a win-win for everyone.”
On TV, more than 2.6 million viewers tuned in to catch the action across 20+ hours of coverage on ESPN, Tennis Channel and PickleballTV, the brand-new 24/7 pickleball channel launched by Pickleball Inc. (the parent company of the PPA Tour) and Tennis Channel. The Deep Eddy Vodka Celebrity Pickleball Showdown hit the highest audience for a PPA Tour ESPN broadcast, with 390,000 viewers across the hour. ESPN also covered the mixed doubles final and women’s singles final, with the latter’s compelling ending bleeding into programming past the 2-hour window.
“Many on our executive team had the opportunity to attend the National Championships and were blown away by how far along the event was for such a young sport,” said Bob Whyley, senior vice president of production and executive producer, Tennis Channel. “We’ve come to expect the best from (PPA Tour Investor) Tom (Dundon), Connor and the PPA team, but I don’t think our group was prepared for what we saw on the ground in Dallas. From the quality and volume of sponsors, to the on-court energy everywhere, to the roar of the crowds while the best in the world battled for championships – it really mirrored many of the tournaments I’ve visited on the pro tennis tours. There’s nothing like being there in person, but we know from the viewer numbers we’ve seen that people around the country enjoyed watching it on TV too. We’re excited to partner with the PPA Tour to make this amazing sport available year-round on PickleballTV.”
On-site retail at Pickleball Central broke two records – total sales across all years for the event as well as sales for all PPA Tour events. The 2023 edition was 3.5x more successful for Pickleball Central than any previous iteration of Nationals.
The 2023 championships also broke a Guinness World Record. The successful Deep Eddy Vodka Guinness World Record attempt saw 264 participants break the record for “Most Participants in a Pickleball Exhibition Match,” playing for twelve straight hours on Pickleball Boulevard. The entertainment hub of Nationals, Pickleball Boulevard featured amazing food and drink, family-friendly pickleball programming, activations from premier partners and nightly entertainment – headlined by American Idol winner Phillip Phillips.
“The excitement around Nationals was palpable and we are thrilled so many fans, pros and celebrities alike could enjoy the festivities with Deep Eddy Vodka,” said Hannah Venhoff, Vice President of Deep Eddy Vodka. “Deep Eddy is about bringing people together for fun, carefree good times, and it was clear that was the experience of every attendee. We look forward to continuing our successful partnership with the PPA Tour throughout the rest of the season.”
The PPA Tour wraps up its 2023 season at the CIBC PPA Tour Finals in San Clemente, Nov. 30-Dec. 3 and returns to North Texas in May 2024 for the Texas Open at Oasis Pickleball Club in Rockwall.
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