Padel: The sponsorship goldmine you might be overlooking
Padel is exploding. With over 25 million players worldwide and the number of courts growing at an astonishing 181% annually, this isn’t just another niche sport—it’s a movement. In Spain alone, 5 million people play padel regularly, making it the country’s second-most popular sport after football. Across Europe, clubs are struggling to keep up with demand, in the Middle East, the number of courts skyrocketed from just 20 in 2016 to over 1,850 in 2022, while in the US the number of courts is expecting to hit 30,000 by 2030.
Yet, while participation is booming and fan engagement on social media is soaring, the sport still lacks the commercial muscle of more established properties. Unlike tennis, or even the newly hot sport for brands, SailGP, padel has yet to attract a broad array of global sponsors. Why? What does this mean for brands looking to get in early on the world’s fastest-growing sport?
In this article, we analyse where the sport stands today, its trajectory as a global property, and the padel sponsorship opportunities at both elite and grassroots levels. If you're a brand looking for affluent, engaged consumers at a fraction of the cost of other sports sponsorships, this is your moment.
A global phenomenon on the rise
Padel originated in Mexico in the 1960s, before becoming a sporting obsession in Spain, where it has grown into a €1.3 billion industry. From there, it has expanded rapidly across South America, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and Asia, with new clubs and courts opening weekly.
Padel by the Numbers:
- Spain: 5 million active players and more than 20,000 courts, making it the second most played sport after football.
- United States: Though behind Europe, the U.S. Padel Association predicts 30,000 courts by 2030 as interest surges
- UK: Padel is growing at quadruple the rate of tennis, with 210 courts as of 2022, expected to reach 400 by 2025.
- Middle East: The Gulf region went from 20 courts in 2016 to 1,850 by 2022.
The next big spectator sport?
While live event audiences are growing—Premier Padel attracted 400,000 spectators last year, double that of SailGP—the sport is still waiting for its mainstream media breakthrough with just 22 million streaming viewers.
If padel can secure major TV deals like those seen in Sail GP or even eSports, it could explode commercially in the next five years. For sponsors, this is the ground-floor moment to get involved before the sport takes off.
Padel sponsorship appeal: A sport built for brands
Despite its commercial infancy, the sport has all the attributes brands look for in a sponsorship property:
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Affluent & young demographic
- Padel’s accessibility makes it widely playable, but it remains a premium sport, played mostly by urban professionals.
- The cost of entry (equipment, court fees, memberships) means padel players have disposable income.
Sponsorship fit: Financial services, airlines, automotive, and high-end consumer goods.
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Social & community-driven
- Played in doubles, padel is a social sport that fosters engagement and brand interaction.
- The sport thrives on clubs, leagues, and social tournaments, creating a lifestyle movement rather than just a competition.
Sponsorship fit: Beverage brands, tech, fitness, and lifestyle companies looking for immersive brand activations.
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Fast-paced & digital-ready
- Padel’s quick rallies and energetic gameplay make it highly watchable and engaging for digital content.
- Premier Padel has 3 million social media followers, far exceeding many other challenger league formats.
Sponsorship fit: Tech, gaming, digital media, and youth-focused brands capitalising on short-form content and viral sports marketing.
The Premier Padel sponsorship opportunity: A sport ready for significant investment
With participation booming, padel now has a structured, professional circuit following Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) acquisition of the World Padel Tour and its merger with Premier Padel.
A Structured Global Tour:
- Major tournaments (equivalent to Grand Slams)
- P1, P2, and P3 events offering sponsorship flexibility
- A structured global calendar across Europe, the Middle East, and beyond
While Premier Padel has the audience numbers, sponsorship is still catching up. Qatar Airways has positioned itself as padel’s biggest backer thanks to the relationship with QSI, while Red Bull recently joined as a headline partner. However, the sport lacks the sponsorship depth seen in other emerging properties like SailGP.
What’s holding padel back from bigger sponsorship deals?
Despite its rapid growth, padel has yet to reach its full commercial potential. While its participation numbers are soaring, three key challenges have slowed the influx of significant sponsorships:
1. Limited Traditional Media Coverage
Padel has a strong social media following and growing live event audiences but lacks widespread traditional TV exposure. Unlike sports like SailGP, the sport has yet to secure consistent broadcast deals with major networks like ESPN, Sky Sports, or DAZN. Without guaranteed TV audiences, sponsors are more hesitant to commit at the highest level. However, as demand for the sport grows, broadcasters will inevitably take notice, and brands that invest early will benefit before media rights deals drive up costs.
2. Lack of Global Superstar Athletes
The world’s biggest sports thrive on star power, and while padel has household names within the sport, its top players lack mainstream recognition. Juan Lebrón and Ale Galán each have around 500,000 Instagram followers, far behind tennis stars like Carlos Alcaraz (6.4M) or Jannik Sinner (3.2M). Without crossover appeal, padel has struggled to attract sponsorships focused on individual athlete endorsements. However, this creates an opportunity for brands to help shape the sport’s first global superstars, securing long-term ambassadorial partnerships before competition for athlete sponsorships intensifies.
3. Recent Governance Instability (Now Resolved)
For years, padel suffered from fragmented governance, with multiple competing circuits—World Padel Tour, Premier Padel, and A1 Padel—vying for dominance. This uncertainty made it difficult for sponsors to determine which tour had the most stability, visibility, and long-term value potential, making investment a risky business. However, this issue has now been resolved following Qatar Sports Investments’ acquisition of the World Padel Tour and its merger with Premier Padel. With a single, structured global tour under the International Padel Federation (FIP), the sport now has a clear commercial framework, making it far easier for brands to invest with confidence.
These challenges are short-term barriers rather than fundamental weaknesses, and each presents an opportunity for forward-thinking sponsors. Padel’s media exposure will increase, star power will grow, and a stable professional structure is now in place. The brands that recognise these shifts now will have the first-mover advantage as padel accelerates toward global mainstream success.
The time to invest in padel sponsorship is now.
Padel is on the cusp of something big. It has everything a sponsor could ask for—massive participation growth, a structured global tour, and a rapidly growing social media presence. Yet, while the sport is booming at the grassroots level, sponsorship is still in its infancy. This presents an unparalleled opportunity for brands to get in early, establish themselves as leaders in the space, and build long-term equity before competition floods in.
Unlike Formula 1 or Sail GP — where only the biggest brands can afford meaningful sponsorship activations—padel offers opportunities at every level of investment:
- Global Sponsorships – Align with Premier Padel’s international circuit, gaining visibility across major markets.
- National & Regional Activations – Partner with fast-growing padel clubs and leagues to engage audiences locally.
- Community & Grassroots Initiatives – Support court development, social programs, and youth engagement.
A bright future
Right now, padel is in hyper-growth mode, and the investment required to become a major sponsor is still relatively low. But that won’t last.
Look at UFC or eSports—early adopters saw outsized returns, while latecomers have to fight for space at inflated prices. Padel is at that pivotal moment, where brands still have the chance to be pioneers rather than just another latecomer.
The sport has everything a brand could want—affluent players, an engaged community, rapid global expansion, and a structured professional circuit. The question isn’t whether padel will grow; that’s already happening. The question is: Will your brand recognise the opportunity early and become a leader in the space? Or will you wait until everyone else has jumped in—when sponsorship prices have soared, competition for visibility is fierce, and the chance to shape the sport’s commercial future is long gone?
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This article was written by Sean Connell, Editor, The Sponsor.
