Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns Drive Record Pickleball TV Viewership

Pickleball is shedding its image as a backyard pastime and gaining mainstream cultural cachet. The sport’s profile surged after the Hollywood premiere of *The Dink* and the presence of elite players such as Anna Leigh Waters and Ben Johns on red carpets, with Waters noting that the sport is now “the cool thing to do.”

That growing appeal translated into television numbers when Major League Pickleball’s Orlando broadcast on FS1 averaged 146,000 viewers, then spiked to 317,000 during a fourteen‑minute rally featuring Waters and Johns, the world’s top male and female players. The viewership jump of nearly 200% year‑on‑year demonstrates that marquee match‑ups can attract a national audience, marking a milestone for the league’s TV presence.

The surge reflects broader trends: unused tennis courts are being converted into pickleball venues across the United States, and the sport is increasingly referenced in popular culture and dating profiles, signaling its transition into mainstream entertainment.