Internet influencers Dude Perfect are investing into Major League Pickleball, according to founder Steve Kuhn; the latest high profile celebrities looking to capitalize on the sport’s meteoric rise over the last few years.
The group, which is based in Frisco, Texas, is investing into the Frisco Clean Clause, Kuhn said Monday during a live podcast taping at SXSW. He added afterwards that the franchise, which is currently owned by local businessmen, was valued at about $5 million in the deal.
It’s unclear how much of the team Dude Perfect is buying, or how it will be structured. An email sent to the group’s brand/agency address wasn’t immediately returned.
Dude Perfect is joining a long list of notable MLP investors. The league has 24 franchises and owners include LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes and Mark Cuban. The structure is single-entity, similar to MLS, but with promotion and relegation, which is common in European soccer but uncommon in U.S. sports. The Clean Clause are in the upper tier of 12 teams, according to the league’s website.
Dude Perfect was created in 2008 by five Texas A&M University students who created trick shot videos that found early viral success on YouTube. Over time, the group has professionalized its business, creating highly-produced sports videos, a merchandise/apparel business, a touring show, a cruise, and soon, a $100 million theme park in North Texas.
They have 59 million subscribers on YouTube and rank as the 28th most-followed channel on the site, according to SocialBlade— accounting for more than 15.6 billion video views. The group’s TikTok account, which has featured pickleball videos, has 17.9 million followers.
Pickleball is by far the fastest growing sport in the U.S., according to data released recently by the SFIA. MLP teams have sold in the past for upwards of $6 million, Kuhn said.
