THE APP’S 2023 AGREEMENTS WITH CBS SPORTS AND ESPN WILL SUPERCHARGE THE SPORT OF PICKLEBALL, BRINGING THE WORLD’S FASTEST GROWING SPORT TO MILLIONS OF FANS, AND DRIVING MASSIVE EXPOSURE FOR PICKLEBALL’S TOP PLAYERS; THE TWO DEALS GUARANTEE A COMBINED 20 HOURS OF TELEVISED COVERAGE ACROSS CBS SPORTS NETWORK AND ESPN2 OF ALL 16 2023 APP TOUR EVENTS, PLUS MORE THAN 200 HOURS OF LIVESTREAM COVERAGE ON ESPN+ AND APP TV
The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) has announced historic deals with CBS Sports and ESPN to deliver hundreds of hours of APP Tour pickleball programming throughout 2023, including 12 hours of live matches and highlight-driven programs on CBS Sports Network, eight hours of event recap telecasts on ESPN2 and more than 200 hours of live streaming coverage on ESPN+ and APP TV.
“We are delighted to welcome CBS Sports and ESPN to the APP and are excited to be working with two of the most significant names in sports media to bring the sport of pickleball to fans across the country,” commented Tom Webb, APP Chief Marketing Officer. “Over 36.5 million Americans played pickleball in 2022 and this media package enables those fans to tune in to our world-class tournaments, and introduces the sport and its best players to millions more. The APP exists to expand the sport of pickleball domestically and internationally and this media exposure is an important step in that mission.”
The APP’s fourth season, the 2023 APP Tour, kicked off in Punta Gorda, Florida, with a sold-out event and over 720 professional and amateur pickleball players from across the USA and around the world. The 2023 APP Tour continues with the APP Daytona Beach Open, taking place at Pictona at Holly Hill in Florida from February 8 – 12. Full details of the 2023 schedule are available at APPTour.org.
2023 APP Television Schedule
| Date | Tournament | Time (ET) | Network |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Sunday, Jan. 15
|
Punta Gorda, FL
|
4:30-6:30 pm
|
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Sunday, Feb. 12
|
Daytona Beach, FL
|
8:00-9:00 pm
|
ESPN2
|
|
Monday, March 20
|
San Diego, CA
|
9:00-10:00 am
|
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Monday, April 3
|
Mesa, AZ
|
9:00-10:00 pm
|
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Sunday, April 30
|
Sacramento, CA
|
7:00-9:00 pm
|
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Sunday, May 14
|
Cincinnati, OH
|
12:00-2:00 pm
(LIVE) |
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Monday, May 29
|
New York City, NY
|
7:00-8:00 pm
|
ESPN2
|
|
Monday, June 26
|
San Jose, CA
|
7:00-8:00 pm
|
CBS Sports Network
|
|
TBD
|
Newport Beach, CA
|
TBD
|
ESPN2
|
|
TBD
|
Philadelphia, PA
|
TBD
|
ESPN2
|
|
Tuesday, Sept. 5
|
Chicago, IL
|
9:00-10:00 pm
|
ESPN2
|
|
Monday, Sept. 11
|
Avalon, NJ
|
8:00-9:00 pm
|
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Sunday, Oct. 1
|
Atlanta, GA
|
12:00-2:00 pm
(LIVE) |
CBS Sports Network
|
|
Sunday, Oct. 8
|
Dallas, TX
|
8:30-9:30 pm
|
ESPN2
|
|
Sunday, Oct. 29
|
Hilton Head, SC
|
12:00-2:00 pm
(LIVE) |
CBS Sports Network
|
|
TBD
|
Houston, TX
|
TBD
|
ESPN2
|
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Author: David Keech
David Keech is a retired teacher and works as a sportswriter, sports official and as an educational consultant. He has reported on amateur sports since 2011, known as 'KeechDaVoice.' David can be reached at [email protected]
