Padel : 1 billion investment and boom in the number of clubs

Padel is experiencing record European growth with a 181% increase in the number of clubs in five years.

According to a study by Deloitte Monitor , the world's leading professional services and consulting firm, in collaboration with Playtomic , the leading racket sports technology platform, padel has experienced historic growth over the last five years, with a 181% increase in the number of clubs in Europe.

The study provides for an investment in new courts of more than one billion euros over four years.

1 billion euros of investment

Padel has become one of the main sports today. This is what emerges from the Global study Padel Report conducted by the consulting firm Monitor Deloitte in collaboration with the Spanish company Playtomic. The creation of new courts in Europe has tripled since 2016 – reaching almost 27 – a figure which translates into an annual growth of more than 000%. Forecasts, according to the report, indicate an increase in investments of up to 20 billion euros over the next four years, reaching 1 courts.

This growth translates into the opening of 98 courts and 29 clubs every week during the pandemic (2020-2021); 10 courts and 147 clubs in total. While in 2 there were 994 courts and 2016 clubs, these figures increase to 10 courts and 151 clubs in 2. The growth ranking is led by Spain, Italy, Sweden, France and Belgium. In fact, in countries such as Spain, Sweden, Portugal and Finland, the number of padel courts is already equal to, or even greater than, the number of tennis courts.

In this regard, it should be noted that, while Spain leads in the number of padel clubs and courts in 2021, in terms of investment it is behind (by far) Sweden and Italy, both of which have invested around 80 million euros in the last two years. This explains why, while growth during this period was 13% in Spain, it was 374% and 388% in Italy and Sweden, respectively.

2021: growth intensifies

According to Elena Martín, manager at Monitor Deloitte, “the current and future evolution of padel is marked by three levers: the construction of courts/clubs; the promotion of competitions/federations; and brands/sponsors/public figures. We must take into account the profitability of the courts in terms of cost and space, which multiplies the potential income from the surface. This is why, in recent years, around a hundred courts per week have been opened in Europe, with growth intensifying in 2021.

To these data, which explain the large number of investors and construction companies that have launched and are launching into this market, we must add the social phenomenon on which this evolution is based. “We are experiencing a unique social phenomenon in history. The consolidation of a more social sport, easier to learn, and above all a sport that was born digital. Today, you can play padel whenever you want, wherever you want and find people of the same level as you without even knowing them,” said Pedro Clavería, CEO and co-founder of Playtomic.

Clubs play a key role in social interactions through events, courses, tournaments and even catering services, because according to data from the Spanish platform”, 57% of players take a drink or refreshment after The “match This reality is increasingly relevant for the Playtomic application, thanks to which it is possible to book courts, record data and personal sports statistics or access events and matches for which players are needed.

An investment opportunity

The study carried out by Monitor Deloitte highlights the potential path that remains to be travelled for this sector and its market. This is not only indicated by comparisons of the number of tennis or padel courts, but also by comparisons of the cost of this growth or of following and viewing the two sports. For example, three padel courts would fit inside a tennis court; a tennis player needs 325 m² while a padel player only needs 50 m², which makes the player's income higher in padel. Not to mention the comparisons with football or basketball, which are also mentioned in the report.

Regarding social media and the internet, it is essential to note that the word “padel” has increased, in Google searches, by 300% since 2016, although “tennis” registers five times more, which indicates “a huge potential growth in the visibility of the term”.

To give another example, the number of views of the World Padel Tour on YouTube was 22 million in 2016, and reached 145 million in 2021. Views to which must be added the number of followers registered by the main actors and padel players on Instagram in 2021, with a growth ranging from 100% to almost 500%.

Franck Binisti

Franck Binisti discovered padel at the Club des Pyramides in 2009 in the Paris region. Since then, padel has been part of his life. You often see him touring France to cover major French padel events.