America’s fastest-growing sport is running into some professional hiccups

Dozens of pro pickleball players have formed a collective to preserve their own interests in contract negotiations with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP), according to a recent letter obtained by CNBC.

And it comes at a time when the sport of pickleball is channeling a wild Pokémon with a strong work ethic and attempting to level itself up – professionally, at least.

Background: Over the summer, two of the main pro pickleball leagues – the PPA, which is owned by Tom Durdon, a billionaire who also owns the NHL’s Carolina Hurricanes, and the MLP, which was co-founded by billionaire Steve Kuhn – were competing to sign talent to exclusive contracts after a merger between the two fell through.

However, this 2023 hot-weather bidding war ultimately brought about another merger announcement – presumably after a Mafia-style billionaire sitdown – this past September.

But a league/player disconnect then started to take shape. Following the announcement, the MLP asked its athletes to take a 40% pay cut in return for a reduction in work obligations, as the leagues worked to return their budgets to lower levels.

• Many of the amendments in these contracts appear intentionally vague, causing players to question their position and push for collective bargaining power, Pickleball Union reports.
• It’s estimated that 80+% of the 103 contracted MLP players haven’t yet agreed to terms with the MLP’s pay cut proposal and are still determining the right course of action.

👀 Looking ahead… The PPA and MLP are still working to complete their merger, as pro pickleball nears an inflection point.

On one hand – dozens upon dozens of US pro sports leagues have gone belly-up. On the other – the NBA signed a three-year, $1.5 million TV deal in 1979 following its merger with the ABA, and is now seeking a reported $75 billion for its media rights.