Major League Pickleball Contracts: Some players and fans have raised questions about the new contracts and prize money system in Major League Pickleball. Connor Pardoe, a leader of the league, explained how the new model aims to balance fairness for players and steady growth for the sport.
Connor Pardoe said,
“Like I’ve said it from the very beginning, like it’s very much we need the buy-in from the best players to want to be here and want to grow this sports property.”
He added,
“And they also need a great place to play. And I think we’ve done a really good job at that. Have we been perfect? No. Have we been pretty dang good and we’ve worked our butts off and does it get better every single week? I would say yes. And I think everybody can see that.”
Concerns About Player Contracts
Some players are worried about having less prize money if they are unsigned or new to the league. Connor Pardoe explained,
“What’s nice is we designed this format for the most part for 90 95% of the players. This is a win-win for the business and it’s a win-win for the players.”
He added,
“It’s definitely more equitable and it’s definitely more fair. And those are two main things we were trying to solve there.”
He also noted that some players were earning much more or less money compared to their ranks, saying,
“You have some players that right now they’re ranked top 10 in the world, but they might only be making $150,000 in total compensation.”
He continued,
“And then you’ve got other players that, you know, might be outside the top 30, maybe even outside the top 40, you know, and they’re making north of $500,000.”
Challenges for New Players
Questions were also raised about how hard it is for new players to make good money. Some new players might only get smaller prize money even if they win major events. Connor Pardoe explained,
“What we wanted to do is have something that, you know, made a little bit more sense with the market and where we’re at today. And we definitely think those are going to grow. We think they’re going to grow. We think they’re going to increase.”
He said the league still needs contracts for now to keep sponsors and investors confident.
“It’s important for me to be able to go to our investors and say, ‘Hey, look, we’ve got the best talent. They’re here. They’re committed. We have something for the long term here.’”
Future Plans and Goals
Connor Pardoe shared his ideas for what the system could look like in the future.
“If somebody asked me like, ‘Hey, what do you think the perfect mix is or the perfect hybrid is, Connor?’ I would say in three years from now, what I’d like to have is something where our signed players would get some kind of guarantee. Think of it somewhere between $100,000 and $200,000 a year and then prize money that’s on top of that.”
He said it is important to have
“some financial security there knowing like, hey, at least this is a good job and I’m going to be able to provide for my family.”
Connor Pardoe also explained that contracts help with media deals and sponsorships.
“It’s helped us tremendously in the media space,” he said.
News in Brief: Major League Pickleball Contracts
Connor Pardoe explained why Major League Pickleball’s contracts and prize money are changing. He said the new plan aims to be fair and help the sport grow. While some players may earn less at first, he believes new deals will improve over time and bring more stability and growth.
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