This might be a sign of the coming apocalypse. The viewership of the inaugural “Pickleball Slam” featuring tennis legends John McEnroe, Andy Roddick, Andre Agassi, and Michael Chang outperformed several MLB, NHL, and NBA games last week. An average of 669,000 viewers tuned in for the 2.5-hour competition and at one point a peak of 796,000 fans were watching.
I didn’t watch the event when it originally aired on ESPN. Since the network is not offering on-demand replays of the exhibition, I was unable to find a legal way to watch it after the fact. However, last weekend I found a full video of the event that had been uploaded to YouTube. Recognizing that it was most likely unauthorized and that ESPN would quickly have it taken down, I prioritized watching it immediately.
An article in the Daily Mail noted that ESPN had televised other pickleball events in the past and is in the process of figuring out whether the new racquet sport has broadcast media appeal. The same article also noted that no one is currently writing out big checks for pickleball broadcast rights. The industry is trying to figure out what the viewing market will ultimately be.
It is telling that a highly promoted exhibition designed to create crossover viewership for the sport was allowed to immediately fade into oblivion. The day after I wrote the initial draft for this post, I checked back to confirm that the YouTube upload I watched is no longer available. I also checked back with ESPN to confirm that a rebroadcast is still not available.
It would be an understatement to say that I am not a pickleball enthusiast. I found the broadcast to be mildly entertaining, punctuated with quite a few cringe-worthy moments. For example, Andre Agassi’s wife made an appearance and was exclusively referred to as “Stephanie.” That is not the name that any true tennis fan would use.
Additionally, Sam Query, a former professional tennis player that recently became a professional pickleball player, was interviewed on the sidelines. One of the questions asked if he was a betting man. That was obviously leading to asking for a prediction on the outcome of the match. After an awkward pause, he pointedly replied that he is not. It was a tone deaf question from a reporter that obviously isn’t familiar with the gambling prohibition in tennis.
The pickleball action itself was mildly interesting. Some of the over-the-top antics were a distraction from the actual competition. It was clear that the organizers and players were going to great lengths to try to pump up the excitement level.
Due to the ratings numbers alone, we can anticipate additional Pickleball Slam exhibitions to drum up additional viewer enthusiasm. I don’t anticipate going out of my way to watch future events. For me, the entertainment level was somewhere around the curiosity level.
To be fair, I don’t watch these same players compete in “Legends” events conducted during the second week of some tournaments. I was probably going to have a “meh” reaction regardless of the sport that was played.
- Pickleball Slam on ESPN beats out MLB, NHL, NBA in TV Ratings Race. Anthony Crupi, April 4, 2023.
- Pickleball Slam beats 13 MLB games, seven NBA clashes and five NHL matchups in TV ratings as its first event featuring John McEnroe, Andy Roddick and Andre Agassi is watched by 796,000 viewers, Kate McGreavy, April 5, 2023, The Daily Mail
A sign of the coming apocalypse 😆😆
I started flipping back and forth between the Pickleball Slam and the Miami Open men’s final but quickly settled on the pickleball as the Miami match was a dud. If McEnroe, Agassi and Roddick competed with one other in any sport, be it hatchet throwing or cornhole, I expect it would be intensely competitive and compelling to watch.