Red Bull Deal and World Padel Tour Acquisition Position Padel for Mainstream Breakthrough
Strap on your wristbands and get ready to smash. The fledgling sport you love got acquired by a global sports and entertainment juggernaut, armed with the marketing might of an iconic energy drink brand. This one-two punch means Padel is poised to become the next big thing in sports.
Padel World Tour Acquisition and Red Bull Deal Usher in New Era
Premier Padel, the new unified Padel circuit has just announced a new collaboration with Red Bull. The goal? To skyrocket Padel’s popularity by leveraging Red Bull’s expertise in sponsoring extreme athletes and developing leading-edge content.
This announcement comes just a year after Qatar Sports Investment’s (QSI) blockbuster deal. QSI acquired the World Padel Tour (WPT) in 2023 and integrated it within its own Premier Padel.
Padel Tennis, The Fastest Growing Sport
These moves come at a transitional time for the rapidly growing Padel sport. Padel Tennis has known many sponsors and investors. It went through many stages, each showing a different iteration of the sport we know and love today.
When Padel was still new, it was barely recognized as anything more than a hobby, a game friends played on the weekends. However, thanks to the Padel Pro Tour, padel established itself as a professional sport worthy of competition and awards.
The World Padel Tour (WPT) then emerged and dedicated the past ten years to catapulting Padel out of anonymity and into the global mainstream. In 2005, the majority of Padel tournaments were exclusively held in Spain. Over the last decade, the WPT made Padel Tennis an internationally recognized professional sport played throughout various continents.
The Fastest Growing Sport Primed to Rival Tennis
Players and fans have expressed both optimism and uncertainty about the WPT acquisition and Premier Padel’s future direction. Experts noted that a schism might divide players and organizations alike.
In August 2023, the WPT was smoothly and successfully acquired by QSI and merged with Premier Padel. To everyone’s relief, the merger was signed under the FIP and will respect its regulations. This surprise acquisition brought optimism, signaling QSI and FIP’s aim to collaborate across organizations to make Padel bigger and better worldwide.
Everyone hopes for this leap to be the one to lead Padel Tennis to the Olympics.
From Courtside to Global Stage: What Premier Padel’s Vision Means for Padel Fans and Athletes
Overall, tangible impacts from Premier Padel’s vision remain uncertain this early. While they inherited some progress made by the WPT, achieving mainstream recognition and sustainable development requires years of investment, participation growth, and careful governance. Amidst optimism, padel leaders caution that realizing ambitious goals is a gradual process with little guarantees.
However, from what we have seen thus far, a unified circuit has brought players relief. Premier Padel is committed to offering better pay for its players and better sponsors. We will also see a comeback of the FIP’s regulations and rules.
The Potential of Premier Padel’s Collaboration with Red Bull
QSI’s investment in Padel is a promise of great tides shifting. Seeing QSI’s portfolio of successful projects, padel fans and enthusiasts are in for a treat. This monumental collaboration with Red Bull shows Premier Padel’s determination to provide higher-quality circuits for all Padel players.
Combining QSI’s expertise gained through the years it handled Ligue 1’s Paris Saint-Germain Club with Red Bull’s success in Formula One motor racing under the FIP’s guardianship, promises to amplify Padel’s appeal, bringing it closer to fulfilling the International Olympic Committee’s rigorous requirements for inclusion in the Olympic Games.
By highlighting the sport’s universal appeal, spectacle, and international recognition, Red Bull’s involvement may help accelerate achieving Olympic status for Padel, ideally culminating in its debut at the Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games.
Premier Padel’s Commitment to Padel’s Growth
In the couple of years since its first tour, Premier Padel has contributed significantly to the recognition of Padel tennis worldwide.
Premier Padel’s main selling point was a structured tour system. They established four Major tournaments (like Grand Slams in tennis), providing a clear competitive framework for players to showcase their skills and compete at the highest level. Additionally, Premier Padel offers tournaments in the lower categories, P1 and P2, a chance for players with various skill levels to participate and challenge themselves.
Premier Padel has also set a new standard by increasing the award money compared to previous tours, with the Paris Premier Padel Major offering €525.000 -nearly five times more than a World Padel Tour major. This lucrative approach has attracted professional athletes and will inspire top talent to be competitive and cutthroat.
It has increased Padel’s media exposure leading to its recognition globally. The sport’s expansion beyond Europe will help diversify the player pool and expose the sport to new markets and audiences. This has helped Professional Padel Athletes gain better sponsorship deals, and if that were not enough, Premier Padel has agreed to sign flexible contracts for players.
Finally, Padel players can play without worrying about female players’ games’ erasure. Premier Padel holds the position that the gender disparities have been resolved, as evidenced by the inclusion of both male and female athletes in the 2nd edition of the BNL Italy Major Premier Padel.
We hope such displays of equality will hold throughout Premier Padel’s reign.
Premier Padel’s Ranking System
According to Padel Premier’s Q&A, this is how players earn ranking points in Premier Padel rounds :
Premier Padel Finals (1 event): Winners get 1,500 points.
Premier Padel Major (4 events): Winners earn 2,000 points, finalists get 1,200.
Premier Padel P1 (11 events): Winners get 1,000 points, finalists get 600.
Premier Padel P2 (9 events): Winners earn 500 points, finalists get 300.
Watch Free Live Padel in 2024
Premier Padel matches will be accessible for viewership on Red Bull TV, a free platform offered on TV and mobile app. Red Bull TV is available across 130 countries.
Red Bull TV will live broadcast quarterfinals through finals of every tournament.
The Premier Padel YouTube channel will continue providing free live streams of the first three rounds of matches, in selected countries.
This expanded accessibility allows Padel fans globally to tune in to Padel Premier competition from early matchups to the championships, thanks to Premier Padel’s partnership with Red Bull TV providing a new channel for broadcasting after the quarterfinals.
Premier Padel’s Tournament Schedule For 2024
| Tournament | Location | Tournament Rank | Dates |
| Riyadh Premier Padel | Riyadh, Saudi Arabia | P1 | February 26 – March 2 |
| Ooredoo Qatar Premier Padel | Doha, Qatar | Major | March 3-8 |
| GNP Acapulco Premier Padel | Acapulco, Mexico | P1 | March 18-24 |
| Puerto Cabello Premier Padel | Puerto Cabello, Venezuela | P2 | March 25-31 |
| Lotto Brussels Premier Padel | Brussels, Belgium | P2 | April 22-28 |
| Sevilla Premier Padel | Sevilla, Spain | P2 | April 29 – May 5 |
| Asunción Premier Padel | Asunción, Paraguay | P2 | May 13-19 |
| Mar del Plata Premier Padel | Mar del Plata, Argentina | P1 | May 20-26 |
| Santiago Premier Padel | Santiago, Chile | P1 | May 27 – June 2 |
| Betclic Bordeaux Premier Padel | Bordeaux, France | P2 | June 10-16 |
| BNL Italy Premier Padel | Rome, Italy | Major | June 17-23 |
| Malaga Premier Padel | Malaga, Spain | P1 | July 8-14 |
| Genova Premier Padel | Genova, Italy | P2 | July 15-21 |
| Finland Premier Padel | Tampere, Finland | P2 | July 29 – August 4 |
| Comunidad de Madrid Premier Padel | Madrid, Spain | P1 | September 2-8 |
| Rotterdam Premier Padel | Rotterdam, The Netherlands | P1 | September 9-15 |
| Düsseldorf Premier Padel | Düsseldorf, Germany | P2 | September 16-22 |
| Greenweez Paris Premier Padel | Paris, France | Major | September 30 – October 6 |
| Sweden Premier Padel | Sweden | P2 | October 7-13 |
| NEWGIZA Premier Padel | New Giza, Egypt | P2 | October 21-27 |
| Dubai Premier Padel | Dubai, UAE | P1 | November 4-10 |
| Kuwait City Premier Padel | Kuwait City, Kuwait | P1 | November 11-17 |
| GNP Mexico Premier Padel | Acapulco, Mexico | Major | November 25 – December 1 |
| Milano Premier Padel | Milan, Italy | P1 | December 2-8 |
| Premier Padel Finals | Barcelona, Spain | Tour Finals | December 18-22 |
Get Padel gear now to be part of this exciting new era. Our store has the top padel rackets, balls, and more to help you play your best as the sport enters the big leagues. The future of Padel is here, and it’s game on!
