Powerball becomes title sponsor of rapidly growing US sport
The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour) has announced a major new partnership with lottery game Powerball, highlighting the huge growth of pickleball across the US.
The company will serve as the official title sponsor of the Pickleball State Championship Series – a nationwide amateur tournament circuit which comes to an end with the Pickleball World Championships.
Under the agreement, the series will be rebranded as the “Powerball Pickleball State Championship Series” across all participating states. The sponsorship also extends to the sport’s marquee event, where the main competition venue will now be known as the “Powerball Championship Court.”
The series features more than 55 tournaments across all 50 states, with some states hosting multiple events. It is designed to give amateur players of all ages and skill levels the opportunity to compete within their respective divisions for a state title.
Gold medalists in each state earn automatic qualification into the state champions brackets at the Pickleball World Championships, held annually in early November.
“This partnership with Powerball manifests critical investment in elemental pickleball across America and is a milestone for local, amateur pickleball in every state,” said PPA Founder & CEO Connor Pardoe.
“This sport is built on a strong foundation of community, grassroots play and the Powerball Pickleball State Championship Series is central in keeping true to that spirit.”
Powerball’s sports push
The partnership marks one of the most significant investments in grassroots pickleball to date and is not Powerball’s first venture into niche sports.
Just last month, the business became the official presenting partner of the PDGA’s Disc Golf Pro Tour. The PDGA has expanded rapidly in recent years amid a boom within the sport, growing to a community of over 300,000 as recently as August 2025.
For more than three decades, it has built its identity around inspiring people to “dream big”. The company sees a natural extension of that message in competitive sports.
Powerball Product Group Chair and Iowa Lottery CEO, Matt Strawn, commented: “For more than three decades, Powerball has inspired people to dream big and imagine what’s possible.
“Through the Powerball Pickleball State Championship Series, we’re proud to bring that same spirit of opportunity to athletes across the country – giving them a chance to chase their own championship dreams.”
Since its launch in 1992, the firm has generated more than $38bn for good causes supported by US lotteries.
The PPA Tour was assisted in structuring the agreement by PIVOT Agency, its sponsorship sales agency of record.
https://lotterydaily.com/2026/02/13/marketing/powerball-pickleball/