In the latest sign of maturation for a quirky but rapidly growing racquet sport, the Association of Pickleball Professionals has set broadcast deals with CBS Sports and ESPN.
The pacts cover hundreds of hours of APP Tour pickleball programming in 2023, including 12 hours of live matches and highlights on CBS Sports Network, eight hours of recaps on ESPN2 and 200-plus hours of live coverage on ESPN+.
The league also will have coverage on its own outlet, APP TV. The APP is one of a handful of new professional outfits aiming to take advantage of booming interest in the sport, which combines elements of tennis, pingpong and squash.
LeBron James, Tom Brady and Kevin Durant recently announced investments in Major League Pickleball, which competes with the APP as well as the Professional Pickleball Association.
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