NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--PodPlay, the first tech platform that integrates hardware-enabled features like replays, scoreboards, and door access with core venue management software for fast-growing sports like pickleball, padel and ping pong, has publicly launched its offering to racket sports venues. More than 30 venues have signed on to the platform, including CityPickle, the urban home for pickleball with locations in New York City. PodPlay, a new technology company, has emerged to deliver game-changing functionality to support tech-forward operators in the booming racket sports space.
The PodPlay tech stack runs the experience from start to finish, including reservations, door access, video replays, digital scoreboards, event programming, remote security, coaching, membership, and payments integration, all in an easy-to-use application for venue operators and their customers. A data and analytics layer helps customers improve and optimize key operating metrics. The integrated system is designed to drive increased revenue and reduce costs for venue operators.
“We are thrilled to launch the PodPlay platform with one of the top pickleball venue operators in North America,” says Max Kogler, Co-Founder and CEO of PodPlay.
“PodPlay is a best-in-class reservation system that brilliantly combines a highly intuitive customer interface with advanced tech features that allow businesses to grow and thrive,” says Erica Desai, Co-Founder of CityPickle.
PodPlay has been fine-tuned over the past four years by the team that launched PingPod, the successful table tennis start-up that exploded on the scene in 2020 with one location on Manhattan’s Lower East Side. It now features 15 locations throughout NYC, New Jersey, Philadelphia, Boston, Miami, Chicago, and the UK, with more in the pipeline. PingPod pioneered the autonomous experience operating model, with PodPlay’s tech stack powering its labor-light business model. In 2023, PodPlay was formed as a wholly owned subsidiary of PingPod to offer its full technology solution as a SaaS offering to like-minded venue operators.
“The autonomous operating model that’s working so well for PingPod has broad applications beyond table tennis,” says Ben Borton Co-Founder of PodPlay. “Our long-term vision is to become the platform for autonomous experiences. Our experience and knowledge bring a lot to the table, the court, or the playing field for a wide variety of sports and activities.”
The crux of the concept is making the activity, whether pickleball, pool, ping pong, or something else, accessible, modular, and autonomous through the group’s proprietary software that serves to enhance the user experience. The PodPlay business model is unique – offering the technology built to power a network of the world’s first tech-enabled autonomous (no onsite employees) 24/7 table tennis “pods” to other recreational activities like pool, pickleball, padel, and more.
The autonomous operating model got its start when PingPod launched in 2020 in New York City, helmed by three partners: Ernesto Ebuen, a preeminent coach/player formerly ranked #1 in the US; Max Kogler, former COO/CFO of Super Soccer Stars; and David Silberman, creator of the autonomous PingPod concept.
About PodPlay
PodPlay Technologies is the operating system for modern, tech-forward recreational venues. The team built the tech that powers PingPod, and, in 2023, formed PodPlay to offer the full autonomous tech stack as a white label SaaS solution to like-minded racket sports venues. PodPlay integrates reservations, event management, coaching, membership, analytics, and payments software with hardware-enabled features like scoreboards, customer-initiated replays, door access, and 24/7 remote security monitoring.
About CityPickle
CityPickle is the urban home for pickleball. CityPickle opened its first, permanent pickleball club in Long Island City in September 2023, which combines indoor courts with a full bar and restaurant, making it the ideal destination to connect and spend quality time with friends. CityPickle recently partnered with Wollman Rink in New York City’s Central Park to operate the largest pickleball installation in the Northeast with 14 courts and 196 hours of play a day. The brand recently debuted an activation at Philadelphia’s City Hall to officially mark the brand’s expansion to Philadelphia with a permanent location on the horizon. CityPickle also opened a seven court activation at Brooklyn's Industry City. CityPickle launched in 2022 in New York City with an activation in both Hudson Yards and TWA Hotel at JFK Airport. CityPickle will continue to partner with high-profile destinations in urban cities that it is expanding to with permanent pickleball club locations.