The Pickleball Tour Wars
An Exclusive Interview with Zane Navratil
In a recent interview on the NML Podcast, professional pickleball player Zane Navratil opened up about his experiences and insights into the ongoing "Tour Wars" between the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) and Major League Pickleball (MLP). As one of the sport's prominent figures, Navratil sheds light on the intricate negotiations, trust issues, and financial considerations that have been at the forefront of this battle for player allegiance.
Q: Zane, let's dive right in. What sparked the recent shift of players from MLP to PPA, and do you believe PPA's business plan holds an advantage?
A: The shift in player allegiance is an intriguing phenomenon. PPA seems to have the edge in terms of a viable business plan. They've got revenue streams from various online businesses like pickleball brackets and Pickleball Central, which puts them in a favorable financial position compared to MLP.
Q: Does the cash flow generated by PPA mean they have a better chance of sustainability?
A: While PPA has a stronger cash flow than MLP, I don't think it's enough to sustain the sport by itself. Both leagues will need to engage in fundraising efforts. MLP, in particular, might be able to attract institutional investors or private equity groups given their valuation.
Q: Speaking of investors, there's been speculation about billionaire owners in both leagues. Can you elaborate on their influence?
A: MLP boasts several billionaire owners, but they have relatively small stakes in the league. On the other hand, PPA's majority owner, Tom Dunn, is deeply invested in pickleball's growth. If some MLP owners decide to exit, new investment might come from institutions or private equity groups.
Q: Zane, can you take us back to the beginning of this conflict? When did you first notice tensions rising between the PPA and MLP?
A: The tensions really started to escalate in 2021 when the PPA restricted players from participating in non-PPA events, offering appearance fees as compensation. It was a sensitive time with a lot of rumors and misinformation.
Q: Speaking of misinformation, you mentioned rumors about your representation. Can you elaborate on that?
A: Yes, there were rumors that I was represented by an agent named CP, which was entirely untrue. It was just one example of the rampant misinformation during that period.
Q: When the PPA was bought by Tom Dundon in 2022, how did that affect your decision-making process?
A: It added another layer of complexity. I was skeptical about the money being offered because I had faced challenges getting paid accurately and on time in the past. Transparency was a concern.
Q: Many players were drawn to the PPA due to significant appearance fees. How did you weigh that against your trust issues?
A: It's true that some players received substantial offers from the PPA. However, I was cautious about those numbers. I decided to consider not just the contract but also who I trusted to pay me accurately and on time.
Q: Can you shed light on the recent revelation that MLP funded the doubling of prize money for PPA players?
A: That was a recent discovery for me as well. I didn't realize MLP was behind the prize money increase. It explains why PPA players received their payments promptly.
Q: Zane, you mentioned that the contract wording was less important than trust. Can you elaborate on that?
A: Absolutely. Both contracts had a lot of ambiguous language. What mattered most to me was who I believed would fulfill their financial obligations. I estimated a higher chance of being paid by MLP, even if the contract numbers looked better with the PPA.
Q: With all these factors considered, how did you ultimately make your decision?
A: My decision was primarily based on trust and the likelihood of being paid. I felt there was a greater chance of being paid by MLP, even if the financial offer from the PPA appeared more lucrative on paper.
Q: You mentioned concerns about fans' engagement. How can the team format in pickleball enhance viewership?
A: Team sports generally thrive in terms of viewership, and pickleball needs to build a community of fans. Hosting events in cities with teams like the Orlando Squeeze creates multiple opportunities for people to watch, fostering a stronger connection to the sport. The team-based approach can attract casual players to follow pro pickleball.
Q: Is there a consensus on whether team-based events or a tour model is more appealing for pro pickleball?
A: It's a matter of debate. Team sports tend to generate more grassroots engagement, but the tour model has its merits too. The challenge lies in finding the right balance, but I believe a team-based approach has a better chance of expanding the viewer base.
Q: The absence of tennis stars like Genie Bouchard and Jack Sock from MLP has been a topic of discussion. Does it matter, and should MLP have pursued them more actively?
A: It certainly matters. Having tennis superstars in pickleball can attract new eyeballs. MLP may have focused more on retaining existing pickleball talent, but recruiting players like Bouchard and Sock could have been a game-changer in terms of viewership and engagement.
Q: Finally, Zane, what do you foresee for the future of pickleball amid these Tour Wars?
A: I believe these two entities can't coexist in the long term. One will likely dominate, and the competition may drive both to overspend and run into financial difficulties.
2:39 Tour Wars Background Zane provides background on the tour wars, mentioning the PPA restricted players to 6 non-PPA events in 2021. In 2022, Tom Dundon bought the PPA and things started heating up with exclusive contracts. 8:33 PPA Misinformation Zane says there was a lot of misinformation and outright lies by the PPA during negotiations in early 2022. He gives the example of false rumors about who he was represented by.
I was hearing rumors that I was represented by a certain person who was an agent for several players, which I absolutely was not. I had heard that there were just so many rumors. I remember this group of four of us that got together - me, Adam Stone, Dekel, Corrine Carr. We were saying "I heard you signed" and they were like "I heard you signed." I heard you signed. I heard you signed. Did any of us actually sign? Who said he represented you? Oh, I said his name - it was him. It was just outright lies about who signed. He made it seem like everyone was signing this deal and you would get left out if you did not sign up within the hour. That was pretty garbage. I remember being on a bunch of calls where the players were just trying to sort out their own stuff. It was supposed to be a player call where we were talking. My whole thing was, whatever you are going to do - whether you are going to sign with APP, MLP, PPA - just do not give in to the pressure that this needs to be signed within an hour. Take your time, go back and forth, you can even get competing bids from both entities. On these calls were players and one agent. That agent very soon after all this happened took a job as Deputy Commissioner of the PPA. That was probably one of the things that had pissed me off the most about this entire thing. You've never heard me talk about this pissing me off in the past, at least that I can recall. I think it was smart of me to have stayed pretty neutral. At least I went with Team APP, but I was not really criticizing anything because I think I wanted to keep my options open. But as that year went on, I ended up with APP. I mentioned a number of people like Dekel, Corrine, Adam who stayed with APP. I still played MLP in 2022, but a lot of people got decent money that the PPA was giving out - real money to players.12:27 PPA Payments and Money Owed Zane says he has had issues in the past getting paid accurately and on time by the PPA. He is currently owed money from the PPA outside of tournaments. 19:03 Zane Signing PPA in 2022 In 2022, Zane reluctantly signed with the PPA after APP declined to offer appearance fees following the PPA/MLP merger. He wanted to keep playing MLP events. 22:20 Zane’s Decision to Sign With MLP For 2023, Zane signed with MLP because he trusts them more to pay him based on past issues with the PPA. He turned down 3X more money from the PPA. 28:11 PPA vs. MLP Business Model They discuss the PPA having more revenue streams vs. MLP being more dependent on investment money. Zane thinks both will need to raise more funds. 43:47 MLP Not Having the #1 Players They discuss whether it hurts MLP that Ben Johns and Anna Leigh Waters aren't playing MLP events. 46:00 Who is Not Showing up to MLP Atlanta? Zane reveals that a number of players aren't planning to show up to the MLP Atlanta event. 51:10 Will Any Players Flip Sides? Zane thinks now is the time we'd see PPA players flip to MLP since the short exclusive negotiation window has ended. 52:45 PPA Signing Tennis Players Zane thinks the PPA's strategy of signing big name tennis players is smart because it will attract new pickleball players. 57:35 Paying New Players They discuss how both tours will be able to continue paying high salaries to new players long-term. Zane thinks there needs to be a pullback. 1:05:02 PPA vs. MLP Public Perception They discuss whether the public views MLP or the PPA as "winning" the player wars. 1:16:47 What Happened to the 2 vs. 1? Zane wants to know when the proposed 2 vs. 1 match against Chris and Jeremy will happen.
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