Thomas Wilson prepares to hit a shot from Ross Whittaker and Christopher Haworth during the first round of the Pro Mens Doubles at the 2023 BioFreeze USA Pickleball National Championships held at the Brookhaven Country Club on November 8, 2023 in Dallas, Texas.
Bruce Yeung | Getty Images Sport | Getty Images
QVC, the owner of home shopping networks on TV and streaming, has signed a deal with USA Pickleball to bring the sport to its platforms.
In a multiyear partnership, QVC has acquired the exclusive broadcast rights of USA Pickleball, the national governing body of the sport. The deal begins with USA Pickleball’s 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships in November, which will be featured on QVC’s free streaming platform, QVC+/HSN+.
QVC, a subsidiary of John Malone’s Qurate Retail Group, will mix the shopping experience with the live matchups. As part of the partnership, QVC will also be the exclusive retail industry partner of USA Pickleball.
The deal showcases the media industry’s continued gravitation toward live sports, which attract some of the biggest audiences on both traditional TV and streaming.
In QVC’s case, the choice to bring on pickleball was intentional.
Earlier this year QVC launched a new brand platform called “Age of Possibility,” geared to women over 50, said Annette Dunleavy, QVC’s vice president of brand marketing.
“Pickleball is the fastest-growing sport in America and really resonates with that demographic,” said Dunleavy. “We thought, what two perfect partners to come together. We wanted to partner with them to sort of bring the sport to life in a different and unique way for our audience.”
Pickleball has been booming in the U.S. and has been called the country’s fastest-growing sport. More than 5 million women over the age of 45 actively play the sport, according to QVC and USA Pickleball.
Pickleball courts have been popping up across major cities in the U.S. Meanwhile, the sport has been signing big media rights deals, such as the partnership of the Professional Pickleball Association Tour and The Tennis Channel.
As QVC builds out its streaming platform it has been experimenting with live shows and events, including its “The Ultimate Gift Wrapping Challenge” series and actress Busy Philipps’ late-night talk show, “Busy This Week.”
“As you look at what those relevant, highly successful examples of media have been, it’s live sports,” said Stacie Tedesco, vice president of streaming at Qurate Retail Group. “It was really that perfect next place to go.”