JOOLA forms strategic alliance with Life Time as sport continues its explosive growth

New York, NY (3/27/23) – JOOLA today announced an agreement with Life Time (NYSE: LTH), the nation’s premier healthy lifestyle brand, to serve as an exclusive sponsor of Life Time Pickleball.

JOOLA will be the primary pickleball paddle sponsor across all Life Time athletic country clubs offering indoor and outdoor pickleball courts.  Members will have access to use JOOLA paddles during open play, and Life time’s branded adult beginning Play Learn Love program and paddles will also be available for sale at Life Time’s Pro Shops, LifeCafes, and online.

JOOLA will also host clinics and events across Life Time’s locations with special appearances by pro players and coaches to help grow the sport within the communities it serves. 

JOOLA CEO and Owner Richard Lee says, “We are very excited to announce our partnership with Life Time. Their athletic country clubs are world class and the addition of so many permanent pickleball courts is fostering the growth of this incredible sport.” 

Bahram Akradi, Founder, Chairman and CEO of Life Time, says “With the existing footprint of our athletic country clubs and our incredible coaches and teaching pros, we saw the opportunity to lead this sport and we took it. We are not just the largest provider of pickleball but also the best, and now we’re thrilled our members will have access to JOOLA’s paddles and offerings.”

Since the start of 2022, Life Time has built indoor and outdoor pickleball courts at a rate of five new permanent courts each week, many with viewing areas, stadium seating, social lounges, and more.  With its growth, the company has fast become the largest owner and operator of permanent pickleball courts in the country, exceeding  500 courts companywide, with plans to top 1,000 by the end of 2024.

Committing to their strategy to grow the sport of pickleball, Life Time has adopted the DUPR, a pickleball rating system, partners with both Professional Pickleball Association (PPA Tour) and Major League Pickleball (MLP) to serve as a tournament host location.

About JOOLA

JOOLA has been a pioneer in table tennis since its establishment in 1952. In 2022, its expansion into pickleball quickly attracted the biggest names in the sport. As a sponsor of both the PPA and APP Tours and to top athletes in the game, the team at JOOLA combines its expertise with fresh perspectives to bring synergy and innovation to the pickleball market. JOOLA creates a variety of equipment, apparel, and accessories for pickleball players, both professional and recreational. JOOLA is based in Rockville, MD, and is owned by Sport Squad, Inc. Learn more about JOOLA and see why the sport’s best are joining Team JOOLA by visiting joolausa.com. 

About Life Time, Inc.

Life Time (NYSE: LTH) empowers people to live healthy, happy lives through its portfolio of more than 160 athletic country clubs across the United States and Canada. The Company's healthy way of life communities and ecosystem address all aspects of healthy living, healthy aging and healthy entertainment for people 90 days to 90+ years old. Supported by a team of more than 34,000 dedicated professionals, Life Time is committed to providing the best programs and experiences through its clubs, iconic athletic events and comprehensive digital platform. https://www.lifetime.life/