More than brand exposure: Why pickleball makes sense for corporate sponsors

[SINGAPORE] Dozens of elite international pickleball players will be in Singapore later this month for the country’s first Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Asia 500 tournament.

The Leapmotor Singapore Open, as the four-day event is called, is the highest tier of pickleball competition to take place here, with both men’s and women’s singles and doubles, and mixed doubles across both the professional and amateur categories.

Singapore is the sixth leg of the 10 stops on the regional professional circuit’s calendar for this year, with tournaments in Ho Chi Minh City, Shenzhen, Kuala Lumpur and Hong Kong still to come.

The action will unfold at The Sports Arina @ Expo from Jul 23 to 26, with the professional draw offering US$70,000 in prize money and 500 PPA ranking points. The amateur categories will offer US$9,000 in prize money.

Entry to the event is free, with tickets needed only to access the championship court matches. The weekend tickets are already sold out, with a limited number of weekday tickets still available.

The tournament, which is supported by the Singapore Tourism Board, has already attracted a host of corporate sponsors. These include Chinese electric vehicle (EV) manufacturer Leapmotor, logistics giant FedEx and real estate agency Huttons.

Adrian Tan, the chief commercial officer of organisers Kin Productions and the event director of the Singapore Open, said that corporate sponsorship in Singapore has become “increasingly strategic” as brands are no longer looking only for logo visibility or simple event presence.

“They want partnerships that deliver audience engagement, commercial value and a clear fit with the communities they aim to reach. That shift has created room for emerging sports such as pickleball,” he explained in an email interview with BT Weekend.

He described pickleball as a sport that appeals to a broad yet high-value audience that includes young professionals, business leaders and active lifestyle consumers.

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“For sponsors, it offers more than brand exposure. It creates opportunities for networking, customer engagement and experiential marketing. More broadly, brands are becoming more selective about where they invest. Audience quality, engagement and relevance now matter as much as scale. That gives newer sports properties a real opportunity, provided they can demonstrate clear commercial value,” noted Tan.

Isaac Yeo, the vice-president and managing director of Stellantis Asean, said that the company’s decision to sponsor the event aligns Leapmotor with a sport that shares the values of “dynamic energy, community passion and lifestyle synergy”. He added: “Pickleball is an inclusive sport, it’s for everyone and this mirrors our ambition to make premium EVs accessible to all.”

Leapmotor is both the presenting partner and the official automotive partner of the Singapore Open. Stellantis is the automotive group that manages and distributes the Leapmotor brand in Singapore and the broader South-east Asian region.

“As a fast-growing sport, pickleball provides the ideal platform to introduce our intelligent, sustainable mobility to a forward-thinking audience,” pointed out Yeo. “Leapmotor, though new to Singapore, under our distributor Cycle & Carriage, is picking up in the local pickleball scene as this partnership is very natural and seamless for us as it aligns with our target audience.”

Long-term fixture

Asked if there are plans to have the Singapore Open be an annual event, Kin Productions’ Tan replied that the aim is to establish the tournament as a “long-term fixture” on the professional pickleball and local sporting calendars.

“Right now, our focus is on delivering a strong inaugural edition in close partnership with the PPA Tour Asia. From there, we aim to grow the event year on year, whether through enhanced fan experiences, expanded programming or a broader festival-style atmosphere around the competition,” he said.

As for the growth of the sport in general, Tan noted that pickleball has exploded in popularity in recent years because it is “easy to start, highly social and genuinely fun to play”.

He said: “Beginners can enjoy the game quickly, regardless of age or sporting background, yet there is still enough competition and scope for skill development to keep people coming back. It also fits well with how people want to spend their time today.

“There is a strong focus on health and wellness, but people are also seeking activities that help them connect with others. Pickleball offers both. It is active, inclusive and social, which is why it has taken off across communities. A lot of the growth has also been organic. People try it, enjoy it, and then bring in friends, colleagues or family members. That word-of-mouth effect has been a powerful driver of participation.”

More details on the Singapore Open and ticket information can be found at the official website.