How do you turn the fastest growing sport in America into a commercial product that attracts major brands, national sponsors, and mainstream media attention?In this episode, Edoardo Grandi sits down with Ben Shapiro, founder and CEO of PIVOT Agency and one of the most influential commercial operators in pickleball. Ben is the architect behind the sport’s biggest sponsorship deals, the creator of the Celebrity Pickleball Bash, and a former Golden State Warriors executive who brought NBA‑level marketing discipline into a young and fast‑moving sport.Ben explains how the Celebrity Pickleball Bash blends sport and pop culture to reach new audiences, why pairing professional players with celebrities accelerates adoption, and how timing events around major sports weekends maximizes visibility. He also breaks down how PIVOT Agency built the sponsorship strategy for the PPA Tour, bringing in national brands such as DoorDash and Guaranteed Rate and helping establish the financial foundation of the professional circuit.We also explore how pickleball is transitioning from an amateur phenomenon to a commercial media product, what broadcasters are looking for, and how the sport can sustain long term growth through events, storytelling, and brand partnerships.If you own, invest in, or operate around pickleball, this conversation will change how you think about sponsorship, media, and the business architecture behind the sport’s expansion.What we coverHow PIVOT Agency became the commercial engine behind professional pickleballThe creation of the Celebrity Pickleball Bash and why pickletainment worksHow major brands evaluate sponsorship opportunities in emerging sportsThe commercial strategy behind the PPA Tour and its national partnersHow pickleball is evolving into a broadcast and media productLessons from the NBA and how they apply to the future of pickleball🎙️ Guest: Ben Shapiro, Founder and CEO of PIVOT Agency🌐 PIVOT Agency: pivotagency.com📩 Interested in collaborating or appearing on The Sport Businessman Contact Edoardo at [email protected]🌐 Learn business models in sports and entertainment: sport-businessman.com

Ask this episode

“What did the council decide on item 42?” — answered with the speaker and the moment.

Transcript

Related