Multisport Members Club Ballers Raises $20 Million

Ballers, which bills itself as a social-sport venue and members club, raised a $20 million Series A round in the run-up to the opening of the company’s first flagship location in Philadelphia.

Why It Hits: Ballers is in the racket sports and golf business — two sports blowing up in popularity with Gen Z, not just for the exercise but also as a setting for building community. Is this the evolution of the country club?

Between the Courts: Ballers co-founder David Gutstadt (who created it with Amanda Potter) says he wants to “bring country club sports to the city.”

• Ballers raised its Series A round with lead investments from private equity firms Sharp Alpha Advisors and RHC Group.
• Additional investors include tennis legends Andre Agassi and Sloane Stephens, as well as top-ranked pickleball player Connor Garnett (currently No. 3), among others.
• The Philadelphia location will include courts for pickleball, squash, and padel, as well as golf practice areas with sand traps and a large turf field for soccer.
• It’ll also feature a full bar, a restaurant, DJ spaces, and areas for social activities (like art installations).
• Ballers plans to open pop-up locations in Boston, Los Angeles, and Miami over the next couple of years.

Final Set: According to RacquetX, nearly half of racket-sports players are what it calls “crosscourt consumers,” which means they like to play more than one of the sports that Ballers will have in their space. Pickleball, especially, is culturally on the rise, with the Sports and Fitness Industry Association (SFIA) reporting that it’s the fastest-growing sport in America — participation has skyrocketed by 311% in the past three years.

All those new pickleball courts popping up everywhere? No accident.

Prediction: If Ballers takes off, typical nightlife may soon include a round of pickleball with your drinks… which could reshape your Friday-night fashion and food and beverage choices.