QVC to stream pickleball in surprise media rights deal

Live sports on cable television have a long history of popping up on channels you wouldn’t expect. The WNBA on Oxygen. College football on NewsNation. Track and field on CNBC. You get the point.

But that might not compare to a deal that QVC (yes, the channel that sells beauty products and essential oils to your grandma) struck with USA Pickleball on Wednesday.

The multiyear deal between the home shopping network and pickleball’s governing body will begin in November for the 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships. The event will stream on QVC’s free streaming platform QVC+ along with sister streamer HSN+.

As of yet, it doesn’t seem that USA Pickleball’s properties will break into QVC’s linear lineup. But that won’t stop the channel from doing what it does best: sell things. The network is reportedly planning “a pickleball shopping collection featuring equipment for the sport, athletic apparel, accessories like water bottles and smartwatches, and other goods,” per The Hollywood Reporter.

And why not? Pickleball has absolutely exploded in the demographic QVC caters to. There’s certainly value to be had here. And as live sports continue to be the lifeblood for networks across the board (see recently, truTV), it makes sense that even QVC would want to get in on the action, especially when the sport perfectly fits its target demographic.

[CNBC, The Hollywood Reporter, USA Pickleball]

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