Playtomic data: UK fifth largest and ‘most social’ padel nation

Playtomic has released new data which it claims shows the UK has become the fifth largest padel market in the world, by number of games played.

“Driven by a surge in court bookings, open matches, lessons, events and tournaments, the new data … highlights the true arrival of the UK as a serious player on the global padel stage,” it said.

The Madrid-based platform said the figures put the UK “alongside already established padel powerhouses Spain and Italy, from what was essentially a standing start five years ago”.

The UK padel market has experienced extraordinary growth during the past 12 months, with six of the top 10 revenue-generating padel clubs worldwide now located in the country.

Playtomic said the number of monthly active users in the UK on its platform has risen sharply from 35,000 to 156,000 in the last 12 months, with 80% of the clubs in the UK using the app.

According to Playtomic, usage patterns also suggest the UK has officially become “the world’s most social padel nation”, with data from the platform showing that the UK has the highest ratio of Open Matches to regular bookings out of any nation worldwide.

Open Matches are where Playtomic users can connect with – and book to compete against – players of a similar level.

Playtomic said there are now 40,000 new players stepping on court every month at clubs which use its app in the UK, up from 25,000 new players in January, with participation “accelerating in both urban centres and newly developed clubs in regional areas.”

The company added that its platform is helping padel clubs in the UK “manage their facilities, grow player communities, and monetise the sport through software tools tailored for padel – all the while providing clubs with the single, most accurate source of data required to successfully grow their padel communities.”

Pablo Carro, co-founder of Playtomic, said: “We’ve long known about the UK’s historical appetite for racquet sports, but what this new information tells us is that padel is not only the fastest growing sport, but has officially landed as a mainstream sport in Britain.

“The enthusiasm from players and club owners alike to build a coordinated padel community is a collective success story. Britain’s moment on the world padel stage has arrived – and best of all, all the signs tell us, this is just the start. Alongside the players and clubs, we are proud to be providing the backbone for Britain’s insatiable appetite for padel.”

Last month, two UK padel operators – Rocket Padel and Padium – announced they were switching booking platforms from Playtomic to Padel Mates.

Rocket Padel said full access to member data and time-saving features were among the reasons for the move, while Padium said the decision was driven by “operational efficiency and user experience”.

According to Playtomic, its platform is present in over 60 countries, with its app used by more than 3 million players at more than 6,000 partner clubs worldwide.

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