Major league table tennis player Debora Vivarelli
Masha Zolotukhina
Major League Table Tennis is going primetime.
The pro table tennis league that got its start in 2023 by software entrepreneur Flint Lane has signed its first-ever national television deal with CBS Sports, the league announced Wednesday. This comes as table tennis has seen a resurgence in popularity and as broadcasters are hungry for sports content.
Terms of the deal were not disclosed, but CBS Sports Network will air MLTT matches, exclusive highlights, player profiles and behind-the-scenes features throughout the season beginning Sunday at 8 p.m. ET.
“This partnership with CBS Sports is a defining milestone for Major League Table Tennis,” Lane, founder and commissioner of MLTT, told CNBC. “It’s a testament to the league’s energy, talent and growing appeal that captivates audiences. We’re excited to bring professional table tennis to millions of homes.”
MLTT said it’s one of America’s fastest-growing sports on digital and social platforms and that its viewership on YouTube grew more than 1,200% from its first season into its second season. MLTT also noted that table tennis is the sixth most popular sport in the world with 850 million fans, according to the World Atlas.
MLTT currently has eight teams from cities across the U.S. The teams compete against each other during weekend matches.
The league has raised about $10 million in capital, Flint said, with investment from names like David Blitzer, owner of Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment, which owns the Washington Commanders and Philadelphia 76ers, and Daryl Morey, president of the Philadelphia 76ers.
Former San Antonio Spurs star Manu Ginóbili is a minority team owner in MLTT team the Florida Crocs.
“Table tennis is considered a basement sport in America,” Flint said. “Throughout Europe, there are professional leagues, but we’ve never had a professional league in this country, so it gives us more credibility.”
Flint said the sport got a boost at the Paris Olympics, where for the first time ever two Americans made it to the round of 16. One of those players, Lily Jong, plays for MLTT.
The USA Table Tennis team met Steph Curry at the 2024 Paris Olympics.
MLTT
The sport also got some buzz during the Olympics when Golden State Warriors Star Stephen Curry met the USA Table Tennis team at opening ceremonies and later invited them to sit courtside at a game.
While MLTT hasn’t yet been approved for sports betting, betting on table tennis gained traction during the coronavirus pandemic when many sports were shuttered. In some states like Oregon, table tennis is one of the top sports for betting due to its fast pace and rapidly changing odds.
Flint said now that the league has locked in a television deal, it will focus on selling two expansion teams and increasing the sport’s presence at the grassroots level.
Disclosure: CNBC parent NBCUniversal owns NBC Sports and NBC Olympics. NBC Olympics is the U.S. broadcast rights holder to all Summer and Winter Games through 2032.
