The Association of Pickleball Professionals (APP) has signed up SI Tickets as its official ticketing partner.
SI Tickets will also be the official home of primary ticket sales for all 2023 APP Tour events, beginning with the 2023 APP Newport Beach Open which runs from June 28-July 3.
APP Tour tickets will be available through Box Office by Sports Illustrated Tickets, which is an event management platform and primary ticketing solution built in paartersnhip with Web3 outfit ConsenSys. The platform is powered by Polygon’s blockchain technology and was launched earlier this month.
Tom Webb, chief marketing officer of the APP, said: “Welcoming SI Tickets into the APP family as Official Ticketing and Marketing Partner is truly groundbreaking for our organization, and the sport of pickleball overall.
“The Sports Illustrated brand has a storied history and is now building the future of ticketing. This partnership allows the APP to create one-of-a-kind tickets for our events, connect with fans better than ever before, and add value to their event experience.”
The relationship will begin with The Boca Raton APP New York City Open next week with an on-site activation, where players and guests can create their own commemorative Sports Illustrated digital fan cover.
David Lane, chief executive of SI Tickets, said: “SI Tickets is proud to team up with The Association of Pickleball Professionals to serve as its Official Ticketing Provider for its 2023 Tour events. The explosive growth in popularity and participation of pickleball over the last two plus years has been truly remarkable, and we look forward to teaming up with the APP as an anchor partner for our all-new Box Office primary NFT ticketing platform.
“We’re excited to build on this groundswell of enthusiasm, while delivering incremental value to all APP Tour events, its players, and current and new fans through authentic engagement experiences that only SI Tickets can deliver.”