Pickleball Inc. clinches landmark $225 million investment into fast-growing sport

By Cara Tabachnick News Editor Cara Tabachnick is a news editor at CBSNews.com. Cara began her career on the crime beat at Newsday. She has written for Marie Claire, The Washington Post and The Wall Street Journal. She reports on justice and human rights issues. Contact her at cara.tabachnick@cbsinteractive.com Read Full Bio May 1, 2026 / 6:26 PM EDT / CBS News Add CBS News on Google Pickleball players are everywhere.Now, a $225 million investment announced Friday establishes Pickleball Inc., a dedicated home to manage the fast-growing sport. The deal merged Major League Pickleball and the Carvana PPA Tour, two of the nascent sport's most active entities, under the new parent company, the organizations said in a statement.MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani said the capital infusion from Apollo Sports Capital "shows without a doubt that pickleball is no longer an emerging sport, and is instead quickly becoming the next tier one sport in America.""Pickleball is one of the fastest growing sports in the world, appealing to players and fans of all ages, and we are excited to be making this structured investment," said Al Tylis, CEO of Apollo Sports Capital. More than 24 million people played pickleball in 2025, a 22%