Major League Pickleball (MLP) achieved a historic milestone on August 30, 2026, as its championship broadcast on CBS drew a record-breaking audience of 773,000 average viewers. This performance marks the second-most watched professional pickleball event in history and underscores the rapidly growing mainstream appeal of the sport.
A Record-Breaking Championship Weekend
The DoorDash MLP Finals – New York City powered by Toray saw a significant surge in interest, with viewership numbers climbing 55% compared to the previous year’s finals. The event served as the grand finale for a 2026 season that included nine regular-season events, a Mid-Season Tournament, and playoff rounds in Dallas and Newport Beach. Beyond the television success, the event set a new attendance record for the league, drawing over 10,000 fans across three days at the iconic CityPickle at Wollman Rink in Central Park.
The championship match featured a dominant performance by the New Jersey Fives, who secured their first-ever season-long title. The key details of the victory include:
- The Matchup: The No. 1-seeded New Jersey Fives faced off against the No. 2-seeded St. Louis Shock in a high-stakes final.
- The Result: The New Jersey Fives clinched the championship with a decisive two-matches-to-none victory over the Shock.
- Key Personnel: The championship team was led by 2026 MLP MVP Anna Leigh Waters and is owned by an ownership group spearheaded by Gary Vaynerchuk.
This record-setting weekend is part of a broader evolution for the sport. Since the 2024 merger between MLP and the PPA Tour, the two organizations have operated under the United Pickleball Association (UPA). This unified structure now oversees the league, which features more than 100 elite athletes competing across 20 different teams. By continuing to host events at high-profile venues like Central Park, MLP aims to maintain the momentum of what the league describes as its biggest and most successful season to date.
