Pro Padel League CEO Mike Dorfman discusses the sport’s marketing allure

The GIST: Last month, Pro Padel League (PPL) — the top U.S. professional padel league — raised a $10M seed round led by Left Lane Capital, a VC firm backing other startup leagues like LOVB and Shaun White’s Snow League. This week, we spoke with PPL CEO Mike Dorfman about why investors and sponsors are seizing the padel opportunity in the U.S. A continental grip.

The growth: Per Dorfman, padel is the world’s fastest-growing sport in terms of participation, and women are increasingly picking up rackets. The sport has about 200K U.S. players, 38% of which are women. PPL estimates the share of women fans to also be around 38%.

The context: Dorfman compared padel to other global sports that are finally having their U.S. moment, like F1 and men’s soccer. With domestic sports “overcommercialized and a bit stagnant,” there’s a strong desire for new sports.

• Padel has a strong following in Europe and Latin America, which is reflected in media rights deals with Tennis Channel, DAZN, Eurovision, Fox Sports Argentina, Bally Sports, and Roku Sports. While global reach matters, so does converting new American fans, with Dorfman acknowledging that “eyeballs and exposure” are key.

The brands: Adidas is PPL’s main court partner, a deal that included creating a custom court for the league and bringing in other potential PPL partners. The league is also attracting affluent cult faves, like NYC’s iconic Eataly chain, recovery brand Hyperice, and fitness company Equinox.

• Dorfman says PPL wants to draw a luxury audience, which means teaming up with luxe brands that want to win over young audiences. While tennis provides a blueprint for such partnerships, padel boasts a younger audience that still loves to spend green. Hitting the sweet spot.