Miss to major material The Drive announced Thursday that the new rights group includes Charles Darling and Tim Fyke of Proton Sports; past NFL player Jake Plummer; and economic professional Jeff Tsao. Photo by Bruce Yeung/Getty Images PHOENIX – Major League Pickleball’s AZ Drive announced Thursday that an rights group —highlighted by Charles Darling and Tim Fyke of Proton Sports; past NFL player Jake Plummer; and financial professional Jeff Tsao—has bought a controlling stake in the franchise at a valuation of more than$ 10 million. The Drive’s rights has been led by former NFL device Larry Fitzgerald; the play came from an unknown portion of the ownership party. Major League Pickleball drove$ 50 million in revenue in 2024, but that figure does n’t include the revenues generated by individual teams, which each have an equity stake in the league. Proton Sports, a pickleball paddle company, is the latest product to invest in MLP at the equity stage, joining Anheuser-Busch with the Atlanta Bouncers and Lotto with the Brooklyn Aces, a comparable unit to Formula 1. The MLP time features 10 games around the nation, a Mid-Season Tournament and a two-week playoff function. The league’s opening celebration will become held in Orlando from April 24-27. “This ownership-level funding by Proton continues to demonstrate some of the innovative approaches MLP has been able to implement around companies integrating with our team, ” Samin Odhwani, UPA Chief Strategy Officer, said via email. “ From Anheuser-Busch with the Atlanta Guards to Lotto with the Brooklyn Aces, we are seeing a ton of interest around companies partnering with MLP team at the highest rates. The match between Proton and the AZ Drive is best, given the local relationships in the Arizona area. ” Major League Pickleball features more than 100 skilled pickleball people across 22 companies. The group boasts at least 75 stars as part of their rights groups. Proton Sports is a Scottsdale, Ariz. -based company that produces blades, softball bat and luggage, among other tools. The firm launched Proton Pickleball in 2024 and now is investing all levels of the game from MLP to the United Pickleball Association. ( This account has been updated in the article. ) Variety Steve Mosko Steps Down as Village Roadshow Entertainment CEO ( EXCLUSIVE ) Rolling Stone Back to the ‘Grind’: De La Soul Revisits Overlooked Classic Album, Share Unreleased Song ‘Bigger ’ ArtNews Experts Explain the Sticky Legal Reason Why Donald Trump’s Meme Coin$ TRUMP Is Labeled an Artwork BGR CNN’s ratings have tanked, but it ’s pressing forward with a standalone streaming service anyway SPY The Best Yoga Mats for Any Practice, According to Instructors ad
