As of February 26, 2025, Major League Pickleball (MLP) finds itself at a critical juncture. Once heralded as the next big thing in American sports, backed by celebrity investors like LeBron James, Tom Brady, and Kevin Durant, the league is grappling with mounting financial pressures, a lack of sufficient viewers and advertisers, and growing skepticism about its long-term viability. Reports from various sources in 2025 paint a picture of a league that, despite its rapid rise and ambitious promises, may be teetering on the edge of collapse by 2026. Here’s an in-depth look at the current state of MLP based on available information.
Money Issues: A League Living Beyond Its Means
MLP’s financial troubles have become increasingly apparent in 2025. A significant development came in early January when reports surfaced that the United Pickleball Association (UPA)—the parent entity formed by the 2024 merger of MLP and the PPA Tour—required an emergency bridge loan of $10 million by January 15 to meet its obligations. This revelation, noted in posts on X and supported by a CNBC article from January 28, 2025, underscores the cash flow challenges facing the league. The memo cited by CNBC indicated that while UPA had $2 million to $4 million in cash heading into 2025, the front-loaded nature of player contracts, with large payouts due in January and April, necessitated the loan.
Player salaries represent a substantial portion of MLP’s expenses. In 2024, the league and PPA Tour collectively paid out over $30 million to approximately 130 professional players, with the average pay for women exceeding $260,000—higher than many established leagues like the WNBA. While this investment attracted top talent and generated buzz, it also raised questions about sustainability. A Sports Business Journal report from January 28, 2025, noted that only two of MLP’s 22 teams were profitable, with one breaking even, suggesting that the league as a whole is far from financial stability despite claims of nearing profitability by Q4 2025.
The high cost of player compensation contrasts sharply with the league’s modest revenue streams. Awful Announcing reported in 2023 that MLP’s annual revenue hovered around $5 million, while the PPA Tour generated $10 million—figures dwarfed by the $15 million allocated to players at that time. If these numbers have not significantly increased in 2025, as suggested by the need for an emergency loan, MLP’s business model appears reliant on investor willingness to absorb losses rather than self-sustaining income.
Viewer and Advertiser Struggles: Failing to Capture an Audience
One of MLP’s most pressing challenges in 2025 is its inability to attract a sizable and consistent viewership. Despite boasting over 350 hours of national telecasts in 2024 across networks like FOX, ESPN, and CBS, and more than 1 billion minutes watched on Pickleballtv, the league has struggled to translate pickleball’s recreational popularity—48.3 million players in the U.S. in 2023, per the Association of Pickleball Professionals—into a dedicated fanbase for professional play. A Forbes article from January 23, 2025, discussing MLP’s 2025 competition changes, hinted at efforts to boost engagement through amateur events and a revised scoring system, but no concrete viewership gains were reported.
Posts on X in 2025 reflect growing skepticism about MLP’s appeal. One user remarked on February 20, 2025, that the league’s crowds and social media engagement were lackluster, calling professional pickleball “a complete joke” and predicting its demise within two years. While such sentiments are anecdotal, they align with broader concerns raised in a 2023 Sportico article, which questioned whether fans were interested in watching top players, even as casual participation soared. The 975,000 viewers for the 2023 MLP Premier Level Super Final on ESPN2, cited by Front Office Sports, was a high point, but there’s little evidence that 2025 has seen similar spikes to justify the league’s spending.
Advertisers, too, appear hesitant to fully commit. While MLP has secured partnerships with brands like Anheuser-Busch and Margaritaville, a Hindustan Times piece from January 2, 2025, about pickleball’s growth in India noted that even in emerging markets, advertisers are adopting a “wait-and-see” approach. In the U.S., the lack of a robust viewer base likely limits sponsorship revenue, a critical lifeline for any sports league. Without a significant uptick in viewership or advertising dollars, MLP’s ability to fund its ambitious player payroll and operational costs remains in jeopardy.
Predictions of Business Failure by 2026
The combination of financial strain and audience challenges has fueled dire predictions about MLP’s future. Analysts and observers in 2025 are increasingly vocal about the league’s odds of folding by 2026. The Dink Pickleball, in a January 22, 2025, article, outlined MLP’s 2025 updates but stopped short of addressing financial viability, focusing instead on structural changes like expanded rosters and event schedules. However, the need for a $10 million loan so soon after a touted $75 million merger suggests deeper systemic issues.
A pickleball.com piece from December 30, 2024, offered bold predictions for 2025, including increased TV interest but a delay in significant growth until 2026. It warned, however, that the proliferation of indoor facilities might outpace demand, hinting at a bubble that could burst—a cautionary note applicable to MLP’s broader ambitions. If the league cannot capitalize on its 2025 season to boost revenue and viewership, its reliance on investor patience may falter.
Sentiment on X amplifies these concerns, with users like @upnorthguy20 asserting that professional pickleball’s survival hinges on recreational players and investor losses, predicting its end by 2027. While not a definitive source, this reflects a narrative of doubt that aligns with earlier critiques, such as Sportico’s 2023 report on pro pickleball’s “bumpy” trajectory and player pay cuts. If MLP fails to achieve profitability by the end of 2025, as targeted, or secure additional funding, a collapse by 2026 becomes plausible.
The Road Ahead: Can MLP Survive?
Despite the gloom, MLP has some factors in its favor. The league’s 2025 plans include hosting events in team markets to build local fanbases and adding amateur competitions to enhance attendance, per Forbes. The broader pickleball market is projected to grow to $4.4 billion by 2033, according to a Market.us report, offering a potential lifeline if MLP can tap into this momentum. Celebrity ownership and the sport’s grassroots appeal remain assets that could attract new investors or sponsors.
Yet, the clock is ticking. MLP must demonstrate that it can convert pickleball’s recreational popularity into a profitable spectator sport. Without a clear path to increased viewership and advertising revenue, the league risks exhausting its financial runway. As of February 26, 2025, the evidence suggests that Major League Pickleball faces an uphill battle to avoid becoming a cautionary tale of overhyped ambition, with 2026 looming as a make-or-break year. Whether it can defy the odds remains an open question, but the stakes have never been higher.
