Toyota signs on as first official auto partner of Major League Pickleball

UPDATE: June 8, 2023: The Toyota partnership with Major League Pickleball will run through 2023, a spokesperson told Marketing Dive. Financial terms of the deal were not disclosed.

Big-name brands continue to flock to pickleball as the racket sport — once an interest closely associated with the country club crowd — rises in popularity. Pickleball has been named the fastest-growing sport in the U.S. for three years running by the Sports and Fitness Industry Association, underpinning how the activity has broadened its appeal with consumers and, in turn, welcomed more marketing opportunities.

MLP adding Toyota as an exclusive automotive sponsor is another feather in the league's cap as it competes with rivals to be viewed as the leading source for pro pickleball play. Concurrent with the Toyota news, MLP named OS1st as its official sock and compression sleeve partner, Sunday Swagger as its official polo shirt partner and Imperial as the official licensed headwear provider for both the league at large and individual teams.

"It is extremely exciting to add Toyota as MLP's first official auto partner, further enhancing our rapidly growing strategic business relationships," said MLP founder Steve Kuhn in a statement.

MLP, which was founded in 2021, has quadrupled its number of official sponsorships this year, according to the announcement. Anheuser-Busch InBev last fall acquired an MLP team in an early sign of budding advertiser activity around the sport. A raft of athletes, content creators and other investors have also taken stakes in teams, sensing a lucrative opportunity.

Marketers have bought more into niche sports that have reached a wider audience in part thanks to social media and streaming. Pickleball has also grown its presence in major U.S. cities, helping diversify the player base.

At a time when advertising budgets are under greater pressure, emerging leagues may be more appealing than the "Big Four" where sponsorship arrangements can be prohibitively costly. A spokesperson did not immediately respond to Marketing Dive's questions about further details behind the Toyota deal, including its length and dollar amount.