New Cutting-Edge Research Initiative Features Comprehensive Look at Purchase Trends and Gear Preferences for Pickleball Consumers
(November 4, 2025) – The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) and Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating (DUPR) have teamed up to release a new, custom pickleball report today, The Pickleball Market Playbook: Consumer Spending, Gear Preferences & Play Habits. The collaboration between SFIA, the leading supplier of sports and fitness participation data, and DUPR, the world’s most accurate pickleball rating system, has culminated in the creation of a first-of-its-kind report examining the habits and usage rates of avid pickleball players – including the brands they play with and the factors that matter most to them.
“Partnering with DUPR on this report has been an exciting opportunity to bring together SFIA’s expertise in sports participation data with DUPR’s deep connection to the pickleball community,” said Alex Kerman, Senior Director, Head of Research, SFIA. “Our collaboration allows us to understand the evolving landscape of the sport and provide the industry with unprecedented insights into how players engage with pickleball.”
The Pickleball Market Playbook offers groundbreaking research available to the industry for the first time, coming directly from avid pickleball players. This includes usage rates of essential gear – paddles, balls, and court shoes – to better inform and empower manufacturers, brands, and stakeholders across the pickleball space.
The report found that pickleball engagement remains strong among avid players, with over 90% of respondents playing at least twice a week, and 48% wanting to increase their play frequency. Additionally, more than 90% of players plan to maintain or boost their pickleball equipment spending over the next 12 months.
Among those who reported their annual expenses, the highest individual cost was facility fees, averaging $913 per year. Other commonly reported expenses included lessons ($688), tournament fees ($517), and equipment – such as paddles, balls, and shoes – which exceeded $600 annually.
Nearly 94% of pickleball players value the physical exercise that pickleball provides them. Furthermore, survey respondents listed health benefits as their top motivation for playing pickleball, at 49%, followed very closely behind by fun at 48.4% and competitive play at 45%.
Shifting to pickleball fandom, research consistently shows that individuals who play a sport are more likely to become fans of that sport. The report revealed that roughly 65% of dedicated players follow a professional pickleball league, 65.7% of respondents stay updated via live broadcasts (TV or online), and 51.9% through social media. Additionally, 61.3% of survey respondents said they turn to social media for news and events around pickleball, followed by their local pickleball community (56.3%) and dedicated forums/websites (56.2%).
As pickleball facilities rapidly emerge across the country to try to keep up with America’s fastest-growing sport, respondents answered favorably regarding their experiences with court quality and proximity, but listed availability as the biggest hurdle, with 44.4% reporting overcrowded courts. Additionally, 39.2% of pickleball players reported they struggle to find opponents of similar skill to play with, underscoring the importance of accurate ratings and level-based play, and 31.9% face scheduling conflicts with other players.
“At DUPR, we see firsthand how pickleball is transforming lives and communities, and this playbook validates what we have long known – pickleball is not just a game, it is a lifestyle,” said Kevin Kim, COO, DUPR. “This report with SFIA highlights the powerful ways pickleball is reshaping how people play, spend, and connect– a must-read for anyone looking to grow or invest in the game.”
The Pickleball Market Playbook: Consumer Spending, Gear Preferences & Play Habits is now available for purchase for $1,000 for SFIA members and $2,000 to non-members.
SFIA
Lisa Futterman
Senior Manager, Marketing & Communications
[email protected]
DUPR
Kyrill Hartog
VP Marketing & Communications
[email protected]
# # #
ABOUT SFIA: The Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) is the leading trade association for the sports and fitness industry, representing over 700 brands, manufacturers, retailers, and governing bodies who collectively employ more than 375,000 people and generate $150 billion in domestic sales. With a mission of increasing sports and fitness participation and promoting industry vitality, SFIA provides thought leadership, advocacy, research, and membership services that empower its members and drive industry growth. SFIA’s leading research and comprehensive insights help members make informed decisions, while its advocacy efforts champion physical health and economic impact. To learn more about joining SFIA’s network dedicated to advancing the sports and fitness industry, please visit sfia.org.
ABOUT DUPR: DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is the premier global pickleball rating system and technology platform, trusted by the world’s leading clubs, tournaments, leagues, and players. DUPR’s dynamic rating system unifies pickleball across age, gender, and location by analyzing match results to accurately evaluate all players across a 2.000 – 8.000 scale. DUPR is the official pickleball rating of leagues, tournaments and clubs around the world, including United Pickleball Association (UPA), PPA, Major League Pickleball (MLP), Pickleball.com, Life Time, The Picklr, National Team Pickleball League, National Pickleball League. It also owns and operates Minor League Pickleball and Collegiate Pickleball, two of the biggest amateur leagues in the sport. Players and operators can visit www.dupr.com to sign up and learn more.