It was just a matter of time before the fastest growing sport, pickleball, became America’s most popular export. A new era has begun. Pickleball Kingdom, the nation’s premier and largest entity of indoor pickleball facilities, has just become the world’s first international indoor pickleball franchise company.

Pickleball Kingdom has signed a deal with Franchise India Group, the leading company in the world of bringing US brands into the Middle East.  Their agreement will lead to Pickleball Kingdoms initially opening in Dubai, India, and Abu Dhabi, with the rest of the UAE to follow.

Founder and CEO of Pickleball Kingdom, Ace Rodrigues exclaimed, “This is a dream come true. Global expansion was part of the plan from day one, and now we’re here. Currently we have 140+ locations in queue in the United States. With this partnership, we will double that number almost overnight. And this is just the beginning.”

Chairman of Franchise India Group, Gaurav Marya added, “Pickleball is taking the world by storm and Pickleball Kingdom is leading that charge. We’re excited to partner with them and head up this international expansion.”

Franchise India Group is now accepting applications from interested parties to participate in this global movement as franchisees. Venus Barak, CEO of FranGlobal explained, “We are looking for seasoned businesspeople who understand the value of having first market mover advantage. We will have these key stakeholders in place for each territory that we open.”

Pickleball has seen a growth rate of over 224% over the last three years, resulting in an estimated 36.5M pickleball players in the United States alone. And remarkably, 45% of them say they plan on playing more pickleball over the next year, according to YouGov. Universally, the biggest complaint against pickleball is that there aren’t enough courts to meet the demand to play…

Enter Pickleball Kingdom’s franchise model. These climate controlled, indoor facilities offer lessons, leagues, tournaments, parties, team building events, and refreshments. Members and visitors have the option to reserve courts or participate in open play sessions.

Rob Streett, Pickleball Kingdom’s COO, stated, “Partnering with Franchise India Group gives us the immediate scale and reach to maximize our brand’s immediate entry and impact in the Middle East. We have been very methodical and intentional with our growth. This is just phase one of our expansion plan.”

CEO Ace Rodrigues concluded, “The time has come. This is our entry onto the international stage. We will be in every country in the world inside of 5 years. One of our value statements is, ‘Pickleball is good for you physically, socially, and spiritually.’ I can’t wait to hear, ‘Welcome to the Kingdom!’ spoken in every language on the planet! Teammates, get ready, the Kingdom is coming!”