QVC, the home shopping network that has been a fixture on your television for more than 35 years, is looking to attract a new audience.
The network has signed a multiyear deal to be the sole broadcaster of USA Pickleball games on its networks and QVC+ and HSC+ streaming platforms starting this November, with the league’s 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball Championship.
QVC will also serve as the exclusive retail partner for USA Pickleball. This partnership will include program hosts attending USA Pickleball events and the launch of a dedicated pickleball shopping page featuring products approved by USA Pickleball.
The move into live sports might seem a curious one for the shopping-focused channel, but it follows the launch, earlier this year, of a new brand platform for women over 50 called “Age of Possibility.”
“At QVC, we’re leading the way in changing how retail and entertainment see women over 50, empowered and full of possibility,” said Annette Dunleavy, VP of brand marketing and a Q50 ambassador, in a statement. “We’re always looking to support women 50-plus, and pickleball is quickly becoming one of the most played sports among this age group.”
More than 5 million women over the age of 45 actively play pickleball, according to QVC and USA Pickleball.
Pickleball is one of the fastest-growing sports in the country and has attracted a large number of celebrity investors and venture capitalists. One financier has said pickleball could offer a higher rate of return than owning an NBA team.
Luxury homebuyers, meanwhile, are spending up to an extra $1 million to add pickleball courts to their vacation homes.
The 2024 Biofreeze USA Pickleball National Championships will air from Nov. 9–17.