The incredible success of the Pickleball Slam has shocked the sports world. The inaugural pickleball event earned a reputation for itself in the world of sports after it dominated other sports divisions like MLB, NHL, and NBA in overall viewership. Subsequently, retired tennis star Andy Roddick, who participated in the Pickleball Slam, couldn’t be happier with his decision to participate in the inaugural exhibition.
Just a few days ago, tennis legends, including Andre Agassi, John McEnroe, Michael Chang, and Andy Roddick, played at the first pickleball exhibition event. Irrelevant of the conflict existing between tennis and pickleball, the tennis veterans left no stone unturned to make the event a huge success.
Andy Roddick celebrates Pickleball Slam’s insane viewership
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The inaugural exhibition event of the paddle sport set new benchmarks for viewership. Along with that provided a strong start as the growing sport. The event, in which four tennis legends ruled the court while participating in a different sport, averaged close to 670,000 viewers on ESPN, according to Sportico.
The inaugural Pickleball Slam averaged nearly 670,000 viewers on ESPN.
Showcasing John McEnroe, Andre Agassi, Andy Roddick, and Michael Chang @pickleballslam peaked with 796,000 viewers. pic.twitter.com/SM9pTTKvWh
— Sportico (@Sportico) April 4, 2023
And a huge credit for the fantastic viewership also goes to the tennis players, who made the game interesting with their amazing enthusiasm displayed on the court while playing the inaugural pickleball slam.
Looking at the amazing stats, the former US Open champion took to his Twitter account to celebrate the viewership record of the Pickleball Slam. He shared a screenshot of a news article that stated that the rising sport outperformed other established divisions like NBA and NHL.
— andyroddick (@andyroddick) April 5, 2023
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The exhibition peaked with 796,000 viewers and beat NBA, NHL, and MLB in the TV ratings battle, making a name for itself in the sports realm. Moreover, the exhibition dominated 7 NBA games, 5 NHL contests, and 13 MLB games. According to this, pickleball is undoubtedly showing why it is one of the fastest-growing sports in America.
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However, just a few days before the exhibition event, the American tennis player opened up about how he was struggling with the new racquetball sport while his compatriots were really enjoying it. Notably, Roddick, along with his double partner, Agassi, won the pickleball slam by defeating John McEnroe and Michael Chang.
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