The blueberry industry hopes to get a boost from America’s fastest growing sport — pickleball.

The U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council is a sponsor of Major League Pickleball’s 2024 season, and blueberries are the official fruit of the organization.

The council aims to increase awareness of blueberries’ benefits among pickleball enthusiasts, encouraging them to grab a “boost of blue” for a healthy and active lifestyle.

About 1 in 5 adult Americans, or 48 million people, play or have tried pickleball. The sport’s popularity is growing each year at a rate of 64%.

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“That growth overlaps with our demographic of blueberry eaters in many ways,” said Kasey Cronquist, president of the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council.

Driving demand

This is the blueberry industry’s first sports sponsorship. Cronquist said it’s also the council’s largest focused partnership ever.

“We were looking for something like this. … There are certainly aspirations for the council to grow our influence in sports marketing, if that’s where the market is going to take us,” he added.

Cronquist said the blueberry industry is on the precipice of bigger things as it seeks to increase the frequency of shopper purchases and household penetration.

U.S. consumers are only eating 6.4 pounds of blueberries per year on average. “That’s something we really want to increase,” Cronquist said.

The industry needs to drive consumption and consumer demand, which, in turn, should boost prices for growers, Cronquist said.

Marketing partnership

The pickleball partnership includes a national marketing campaign that spans 11 events and will target consumers through broadcasts, online streaming, courtside signage and the league’s social media channels, website and newsletters. The blueberry council also will work directly with influencers and players to create content that shows how blueberries are a perfect partner to support nutrition for athletes and those with active lifestyles.

The council also will provide in-store merchandising and digital materials to retailers to amplify July promotions.

July is National Blueberry Month, and the council will launch a campaign designed to boost consumption and excitement around pickleball.

Pickleball background

Major League Pickleball did not respond to requests for comment by deadline.

In the U.S. Highbush Blueberry Council’s podcast, “The Business of Blueberries,” Bruce Popko, CEO of Major League Pickleball, discussed the partnership.

“You’ve got a fun fruit. We’ve got a fun experience. So smashing them together in meaningful ways… I think there’s a lot of fun to be had in this relationship,” Popko said.

Pickleball was created in the late 1970s in the Seattle area.

Popko said the sport’s name probably stems from “pickle races” in rowing, with hastily assembled crews. Pickleball initially was improvised with racquets, a Wiffle ball and badminton net.

“It was sort of cobbled together and made this incredible sport,” Popko said.

Major League Pickleball, now in its third season, has 24 teams split into upper and lower divisions.

The Seattle Pioneers and the Los Angeles Mad Drops represent the West Coast in the Premier Level.

The Challenger Level includes the Bay Area Breakers, California BLQK Bears, Frisco Pandas and SoCal Hard Eights.