The growing international stature of padel, the racquet sport, will be underlined on Friday when its leading professional tour unveils a huge commercial tie-up with Red Bull.
Sky News has learnt that Premier Padel, which is owned by Qatar Sports Investments (QSI) and the Austrian-founded energy drinks manufacturer, will announce a four-year partnership spanning broadcast, production and sponsorship.
Under the deal, which insiders said was worth tens of millions of pounds, Premier Padel matches from the latter stages of each tournament will be streamed on Red Bull’s media platform, Red Bull TV, in more than 130 countries.
Red Bull will also create content for the sport’s fans throughout the duration of the partnership, which will run until the end of the 2027 season.
One source described the deal as “transformational” for padel.
It is said to have been driven by Nasser Al-Khelaifi, QSI’s chairman, who is also president of Paris Saint-Germain, the Ligue 1 football club majority-owned by the Qatari group.
The agreement will give Premier Padel access to the creative and media expertise of a company which has become a powerhouse in global sport through its success in Formula One motor racing.
Red Bull also has a major presence in cycling, other motorsport and mountain biking, among other sports.
Red Bull driver Max Verstappen in action during last season’s F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix. Pic: AP
Although still significantly smaller than tennis in participation and commercial terms, padel’s growth has been eye-catching in recent years.
Its popularity has been buoyed by the following it has attracted from celebrities and athletes from other sports, including footballer Lionel Messi and Jurgen Klopp, the Liverpool manager.
Premier Padel was founded by QSI alongside the International Padel Federation and the Professional Padel Association, with events to be held at venues such as Roland Garros, home of the French Open tennis championships.
This year’s tour kicks off in Saudi Arabia next week, with 25 tournaments scheduled in 18 countries.
Last year, QSI announced a deal to acquire the World Padel Tour, enabling it to unify the sport’s global calendar in an attempt to make it more attractive to sponsors and broadcasters.
People close to the sport drew a distinction between Premier Padel and new entities in other sports, such as LIV Golf, where billions of dollars of Saudi funding have torn a schism through the professional game.
Premier Padel was created in conjunction with the sport’s federation and its players, rather than being established as a breakaway, as LIV Golf was.
QSI and Premier Padel declined to comment on Friday, while Red Bull could not be reached for comment.
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