St. Louis Shock Sign Landmark 3-Year Media Deal with PickleballTV, Becoming First MLP Team to Land a Broadcast Partnership

“Shock & Awe presented by Heat Controller” Will Air On PickleballTV As MLP’s Marquee Franchise Makes League History; Debuts May 27 2026

ST. LOUIS — The St. Louis Shock, 2025 Major League Pickleball (“MLP”) Regular Season Champions and 2025 MLP Cup Champions, today announced a historic multi-year media rights agreement with PickleballTV (“PBTV”), making the Shock the first MLP franchise to secure a network media deal. The new partnership expands the Shock’s first-of-its-kind show to PBTV, pickleball's most engaged national viewing audience, through 2028. The show debuts May 27th, 2026.

The Shock's behind-the-scenes series, “Shock & Awe presented by Heat Controller,” originally debuted in 2025 and established a new, unfiltered model for team-driven storytelling in professional pickleball. The show offers an all-access look at the Shock’s pursuit of the MLP Championship and provides a unique perspective into the key business decisions, partnerships, roster, and front office decisions made by MLP’s leading franchise. Episodes are planned to air after each Shock regular season and playoff event, including MLP St. Louis, the team's home event taking place June 4th-7th at Chaifetz Arena.

“Shock & Awe presented by Heat Controller” takes fans inside the Shock organization with unprecedented access to players, coaches, and front office personnel. Viewers get real, raw looks at what it takes to build, defend, and elevate a championship roster in professional pickleball, from training sessions and team strategy to the personalities, rivalries, and moments that define an MLP season. Beyond the court, the show documents the sponsorship, roster, and strategic decisions that have made the Shock MLP’s leading franchise, with perspectives from leaders across the league and sport.

“This is a landmark moment for our franchise and our sport,” said Ross Chaifetz, Owner and General Manager of the Shock. “We’re proud of our status as MLP’s leader in nearly every on-court and commercial category, and we can’t wait to showcase to the world the personalities, performance, and key decisions that define us.” Future seasons will elevate the storytelling, access, and personalities that Shock fans have come to know and love. “We are thrilled to grow and enhance our programming with Heat Controller alongside us, and PickleballTV is a fantastic home for this story,” he added.

Heat Controller, a leader in the HVAC industry, joins the Shock as the presenting sponsor of Shock & Awe and as an official partner of MLP St. Louis. A full announcement of the partnership will follow in a separate release.

“St. Louis has established itself to be a top team in MLP both on and off the court,” said Adam Friedman, Director of Programming & Strategy at PBTV. “We're thrilled to be home to the Shock & Awe series franchise, and expand our high caliber programming to our ever-growing PickleballTV audience by providing a raw look at a marquee MLP franchise.”

For broadcast schedule, episode information, and viewing details, visit PickleballTV or follow the St. Louis Shock across social media @STLShockMLP.

About the St. Louis Shock: The St. Louis Shock is a professional pickleball team competing in Major League Pickleball (MLP). The 2025 MLP Regular Season Champions posted a dominant 24-1 record, establishing themselves as one of the league's elite franchises. Since its founding in 2023, the Shock has experienced explosive growth, quickly becoming an innovative leader through cutting-edge community events, a comprehensive Minor League Pickleball (MiLP) program across 15 locations with 200+ players, youth development initiatives, and championship-caliber professional competition.

About Pickleball TV: Co-owned and partnered with the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour, Pickleball TV is the 24-hour television home of America’s fastest growing sport. With coverage of more than 30 top-level PPA and Major League Pickleball (MLP) team tournaments throughout the year, the network offers more than 1,000 hours of live matches from the game’s top professionals and biggest stars – names like Ben Johns, Anna Leigh Waters and Catherine Parenteau. PBTV also provides viewers with first-class instruction, exclusive lifestyle programming, studio news content and more.