• Loading stock data...
Friday, September 5, 2025
Fox Analyst and Media Entrepreneur Greg Olsen to Speak at Tuned In Get your ticket now!

Hurricanes Owner Takes Swing at Pickleball

  • The Carolina Hurricans owner is buying the Pro Pickleball Association and Pickleball Central.
  • The deal includes Pickleball Central’s retail business and the professional event tracking site. 
Pickleball-Central-PPA-Dundon-Capital
PPA/Design: Alex Brooks

Carolina Hurricanes owner Tom Dundon is uniting two of the major organizations behind a growing sport: pickleball.

The NHL team owner’s Dundon Capital Partners is buying the Pro Pickleball Association and Pickleball Central. The deal for Pickleball Central includes the company’s retail business and the professional event tracking site.

“The sport of pickleball grew by 20% last year and now counts over 4 million participants in the U.S.,” said Pickleball Central CEO and co-founder David Johnson.

“The investment also provides a multi-million dollar commitment to enhance and extend the capabilities of the Pickleball Tournament’s state-of-the-art technology platform,” the company shared in a statement.

  • The paddle sport exploded in popularity during the pandemic, particularly among players 65 and older.
  • Cities have been building dedicated pickleball courts or allowing players to repurpose tennis courts. Pickleball is played on a 20-by-44-foot court (a tennis court is 36-by-78-feet and can accommodate multiple pickleball games).

Growing Sports Portfolio

Dundon has shown interest in other sports properties. His investment firm holds a stake in Topgolf, and he invested $70 million in the Alliance of American Football, a short-lived pro football league that began play in February 2019.

The AAF only lasted eight weeks before Dundon suspended play. He has since sought to recover his investment following the league’s bankruptcy, claiming that the founders misled him as to how much money was needed to make the league viable.

Linkedin
Whatsapp
Copy Link
Link Copied
Link Copied

What to Read

Connor McDavid: ‘All Options on Table’ As Historic Free Agency Looms

The Oilers superstar remains largely mum on his long-term plans.
Aug 27, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Los Angeles Dodgers starting pitcher Shohei Ohtani (17) flies out to left field in the eighth inning against the Cincinnati Reds at Dodger Stadium.

The Biggest Deferred Contracts In Each Major Sports League

Shohei Ohtani will make $680 million after his contract ends.
Dec 10, 2024; Salt Lake City, Utah, USA; A general view of the Delta Center before the game between the Utah Hockey Club and the Minnesota Wild.

Utah’s Sports Boom Expands Into Music, Emulating Atlanta

The Jazz and Mammoth owner strikes a major deal with Live Nation.
Kyle Busch talks with Nexstar Media Group, Wednesday February 14, 2024 during Daytona 500 Media Day at Daytona International Speedway

$6.2B Nexstar-Tegna Deal Could Create Local Sports Juggernaut

CW parent company Nexstar looks to acquire its rival in a major deal.

Featured Today

Dec 21, 2024; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes (15) gets ready to take the field prior to a game against the Houston Texans at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium.

How Brazil Game Fits Into NFL’s Plans for World Domination

Friday night’s Chiefs-Chargers game in São Paulo is big by design.
Oct 13, 2024; Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA; Philadelphia Eagles quarterback Jalen Hurts (1) and wide receiver A.J. Brown (11) celebrate their touchdown pass during the second quarter against the Cleveland Browns at Lincoln Financial Field.
September 2, 2025

TV Ratings Just Changed Again. The NFL Will Be the Big Winner

Nielsen’s new viewership system will have a big impact on sports.
Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates with offensive lineman Donovan Jackson (74) after a touchdown catch against Notre Dame Fighting Irish in the first quarter during the College Football Playoff National Championship at Mercedes-Benz Stadium in Atlanta on January 20, 2025.
August 30, 2025

The Most Expensive Roster Year in College Football History

The House settlement created revenue-sharing—and a big NIL loophole.
August 26, 2025

‘You’re Going to Get Beat Up’: The Liberty’s All-Male Practice Squad

A select group suits up weekly to take on the defending champs.
Jun 13, 2018; Moscow, Russia; A general view of a beer stand inside of Luschniki Stadium one day prior to the start of the FIFA World Cup 2018.

Saudi Arabia Says No Alcohol at 2034 World Cup

Saudi Arabia won’t allow alcohol anywhere during the 2034 World Cup.
Paralympics Tiktok
August 25, 2024

The Wildly Successful Paralympics TikTok Account Isn’t What You Think

A cheeky TikTok account is opening the world of Paralympic sports.
January 13, 2025

Gavin Newsom Reveals Status of 2028 Olympics As Los Angeles Wildfires Roar

Gavin Newsom says there’s a “Marshall Plan” to rebuild Los Angeles.
Sponsored

Trailblazer Cal Calamia Is Racing for ‘Advocacy, Storytelling, and Performance’

The marathoner wants excellence—not just inclusion—to be the goal for non-binary athletes.
August 11, 2024

Passing of the Torch: Los Angeles Set for Olympic Firsts in 2028

The city last hosted the Summer Olympics in 1984.
August 1, 2024

Saudi Arabia Submits Bold World Cup Bid That Includes a Cliffside Arena

The Saudis are proposing a new stadium in a futuristic city called Neom.
John John Florence (USA) surfs in men’s round two competition during the Tokyo 2020 Olympic Summer Games at Tsurigasaki Surfing Beach.
July 29, 2024

Olympic Surfers Won’t Get Their Full Paris Moment

‘We’re kind of separate off on our own little thing over here.’
Teahupo'o Tahiti Surfing
July 26, 2024

Olympic Surfing Crashes on Tahiti Like a Wave

For Teahupo‘o’s locals, the Olympics are a mixed blessing.