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If you’ve ever wanted to watch expert dinks, precise dropshots and call out faults from the comfort of your couch, now you can.
Fans of America’s fastest growing sport will soon be able to watch the game’s best on the big screen, after Amazon Prime announced it had inked a multiyear deal with the Professional Pickleball Association.
Prime Video will have exclusive global streaming rights to four live PPA Tour events per year, including the sport’s world championships.
Pickleball’s expansion across North America has been as surprising as it’s been quick. If you haven’t played (where have you been?), it’s something of a hybrid between tennis and ping-pong. Usually played in a doubles format, the game has grown in popularity because it’s easy to learn, affordable and is often hosted in a fun, social atmosphere.
The Carvana PPA Tour was founded in 2018 and is one of the nation’s top professional tours. It organizes events and rankings for the top male and female pickleball players in the world and athletes can receive more than $5.5 million in annual prize money, with equal play and pay for both men and women.
The PPA Tour is set to host 25 events in 2023 across the country and Prime Video has acquired rights to broadcast four of them.
The first event takes place this Thursday with coverage beginning at 7 a.m.
The Acrytech Atlanta Open in Atlanta, Georgia, will feature four days of tournament coverage and will be hosted by a cast of on-air analysts and play-by-play announcers. It’s one of PPA Tour’s four “Majors,” and teams can receive double their typical ranking points by competing.
The complete streaming schedule for the PPA Tour on Amazon Prime Video is below, all times PDT:
- May 18-21: Acrytech Atlanta Open
Atlanta, Georgia
7:00 a.m – 3:00 p.m. - August 24-27: Vulcan Kansas City Open
Kansas City, Kansas
8:00 a.m. – 4:00 p.m. - October 5-8: Guaranteed Rate Championships
Las Vegas, Nevada
10:00 a.m. – 6:00 p.m. - October 12-15: CIBC (USA vs. World) Boca Raton Open
Boca Raton
7:00 a.m. – 3:00 p.m.
The PPA Tour features some of pickleball’s biggest names, including the No. 1-ranked men’s doubles team of Ben and Collin Johns, the No. 1-ranked women’s doubles team of Anna Leigh Waters and Anna Bright, the No. 2-ranked men’s doubles team of Riley Newman and Matt Wright, the No. 2-ranked women’s doubles team of Lucy Kovalova and Callie Smith, and the No. 1-ranked mixed doubles team of Ben Johns and Waters.
The Tour also allows for amateurs to participate in events, as part of its motto: “play where the pros play.” It also offers meet-and-greets, live entertainment and other opportunities for the most pickleball-obsessed fans.
For more information about the PPA Tour, click here.
Prime Video, which is included in an Amazon Prime subscription, has been actively expanding its sports offerings in recent years. In 2021, Amazon made a high-profile acquisition of streaming rights for NFL Thursday Night Football. The company has also secured agreements to stream the WNBA and select New York Yankees games, as well as Overtime Elite, a professional basketball league for up-and-coming prospects.
PPA Tour events and matches will be streaming on all eligible devices, and you can find out if your device is eligible by visiting Amazon’s website.
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