Veteran Tennis Channel executive producer Bob Whyley recently reflected on just how far Pickleballtv has come in only two years. 

The 24/7 network dedicated to America's fastest-growing sport launched in November 2023 in conjunction with Nationals, which is now the Jenius Bank Pickleball World Championships.

“Worlds marked our second anniversary of launching Pickleballtv in the partnership we have with the UPA. Year after year, we’ve doubled our numbers and Pickleballtv is basically in every single household in America because it’s on the four biggest distributors—Roku, Amazon Prime, Samsung, and now YouTubeTV, which is a big deal,” said Whyley. “The growth has just been amazing. The numbers that we’re getting from people watching just continues to increase, so the sky is the limit.” 

Whyley was one of the few people early on who saw that pickleball had incredible potential as a broadcast sport.

“I first played pickleball 20 years ago. One of my buddies is from the Northwest, and he built a court in his backyard. I played and I immediately thought, ‘This is awesome.’ Fast forward to five years ago, and I’d watch a little bit of pickleball here and there on YouTube. I always thought that there was an opportunity to do something with professional pickleball, I just didn’t know what was out there,” he explained. “Then, I met Connor [Pardoe] in 2021 and I told him, ‘I want to do the Orlando event for you in Lake Nona, and show you what this could look like if it was professionally done.' That’s how this all started.”

Filming and broadcasting an emerging sport is no easy task.

There are so many potential learning curves and obstacles involved along the way, including setting up shop at certain facilities that may be somewhat lacking in the technology department.

“In professional sports like the NBA, NFL, even tennis at Indian Wells or at the Miami Open when they play at the Dolphins' stadium, they are locked-in venues. When you have 30 events a year, but they’re at venues that are not necessarily professional venues, you have to figure out ways to do what you do,” mentioned Whyley. “The professional venues are wired for television, wired for transmission, and country clubs and parks are not. But, we like the challenge.” 

It's safe to say that Pickleballtv has met that challenge and others head on—and overcome them—to deliver something extra special to pickleball enthusiasts everywhere.

In addition to tournament coverage, the network offers a variety of fun and educational programming that promotes and celebrates the game around the clock.

“In pickleball, I think there’s going to be a greater appetite for people who are watching it at home to understand how they can get a little bit better. In golf and tennis, you have your club pros, so there’s not as much demand for instructional content because people have their own way of doing things. But in pickleball, it’s so new and growing so fast that I think any nugget players can get from our analysts is even more powerful than tennis or golf,” insisted Whyley. 

“In regards to the other content we offer, people want to get to know their favorite players. That’s why we have the Tyson McGuffin Show and My Pickleball Life, where we put the cameras in the hands of the players, because we want to tell the stories of the players and introduce them to the world,” he added.

Pickleball has a friend in Whyley.

And a wonderful ambassador as well. 

“I really believe in the sport, and the numbers don’t lie,” he concluded. “I’m excited to be a part of it and see where it all takes us.” 

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