The Association of Pickleball Players (APP) has outlined its initial overview of 2024 events. The schedule will feature a minimum of 20 competitions throughout the year.
The Most Demanding In APP History
The 2024 calendar is set to be the most demanding in the organization’s history, encompassing enhanced APP Tour and APP Next Gen events, the introduction of APP Signature competitions, augmented international tournament collaborations, a substantial increase in pro-player prize money, and an expanded broadcast package spanning digital and linear platforms.
The 2024 APP Tour will comprise no less than 12 events in total – four APP Tour Majors and eight APP Tour Primary tournaments. These Majors will take place at premier facilities worldwide, including Fort Lauderdale, Miami, New York City, and Southern California.
They will feature amplified purses for pro players, an elevated fan experience, and enhanced television coverage. These Major tournaments will offer three times the prize money of 2023 Tour events, guaranteeing a minimum payout of $150,000 per event. Primary events will provide twice the prize money of 2023 Tour events, raising the purse to $100,000 per event.
Enriched Digital And Linear Coverage
In 2024, the APP will intensify its efforts to bring professional and recreational pickleball to the homes and screens of fans through an enriched digital and linear broadcast package. Comprehensive details of this enhanced broadcast slate will be disclosed shortly.
A notable addition to the 2024 calendar will be the first of the annual APP Signature Events. These tournaments will introduce fresh formats aimed at providing professional and amateur players with more opportunities to compete and earn prize money.
Collegiate Championships
The inaugural APP Signature Event of 2024 will be the APP Collegiate Championships, scheduled for January 3-7, showcasing the nation’s top college pickleball teams.
Further information regarding the venue, format, and registration details of the APP Collegiate Championships will be released next week. Other APP Signature Events include:
- The AARP Champions Cup: Tailored for players aged 50 and above.
- The APP Women’s Open: Geared towards highlighting the sport’s leading women pro and amateur players and elevating the women’s game.
- The APP U.S. Indoor Championships: An annual indoor event that will visit cities across the country.
- The APP Atlantic Cup: An international team-based competition featuring Team USA against Team Europe.
Additional APP Signature Events will be unveiled throughout 2024 and beyond.
Next Gen Tournaments
Three APP Next Gen tournaments complete the 2024 APP event calendar in the US, providing a platform for aspiring pickleball professionals aged 16-23.
Participants will also benefit from mentorship by APP Next Gen National Team Head Coaches, who will be present at tournaments, offering guidance and on-site coaching.
As that wasn’t enough, the 2024 APP Next Gen National Team members will be announced in January 2024.
An important phase of the calendar will see the APP persist in driving and supporting the rapid global expansion of pickleball, building upon established partnerships in England, Spain, Sweden, India, and Australia, with forthcoming international announcements on the horizon.
The Foremost Catalyst
The APP takes pride in its role as the foremost catalyst for competitive and recreational pickleball on a global scale.
Tom Webb, Chief Marketing Officer of the APP, said, “The APP has gone from strength to strength in 2023, and we are excited to build on the successes we have enjoyed this year.
“We will have bigger and better tournaments than ever before, featuring more prize money for the pro players and a bigger broadcast package.
“We are adding a minimum of five groundbreaking new tournaments through our APP Signature Events, and we continue to find and develop America’s future pickleball stars through the APP Next Gen series and our international pursuits.
“We lead the world in growing pickleball, and we are only just getting started.”
Sunmed New Jersey Open
After the recent conclusion of the 2023 APP Chicago Open, which marked the largest-ever pickleball tournament in Illinois and garnered recognition on ESPN SportsCenter’s Top 10, the 2023 APP Tour is continuing in Avalon, New Jersey.
The upcoming event, known as the 2023 APP Sunmed New Jersey Open, will be livestreamed on APPTV and televised on Monday, September 11, airing on CBS Sports Network from 8:00 to 9:00 pm Eastern Time.
As for the forthcoming 2024 APP event schedule, it will be unveiled in the coming weeks, providing essential details such as dates, locations, venues, and broadcast information.
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