Social Sports Society

What Social Sports Society does

Social Sports Society is a UK-based multi-sports operator (legal entity Social Sports Ltd, Company No. 13916276) that runs the S3 Padel network of padel tennis venues across England, with planned expansion into Manchester and Bangor in 2026. The company serves individual consumers (all ages and abilities, from beginners to enthusiasts), community groups, schools and charities (via a pledged 250,000 hours of free court time over five years), and corporate clients seeking event and team-building venues. Its largest sites hold 10-11 padel courts, with several venues adding complementary amenities such as pro shops, bars, co-working spaces, workout zones, shuffleboard, boules, and Pod Golf.

The core product is physical padel court access, supported by a digital booking layer powered by Playtomic (iOS, Android, and web). The company layers three structured revenue streams onto this base: usage-based pay-and-play court hire (where customers can also be matched with other players via the platform), recurring tiered memberships (Players Pass, Unlimited Off Peak, All Access, and Annual Pass, priced from £7.50 to £55/month or £360/year), and a coaching/academy programme covering Intro to Padel, Social Sessions, and Technical Sessions. Additional revenue comes from corporate and social event hosting, equipment rental, and on-site refreshments/licensed bar service. The marketing motion is self-serve via Playtomic, supplemented by an email newsletter, an ambassador programme (including The Padel School's Sandy Farquharson), and brand sponsorships.

Commercially, Social Sports Society combines a venture-backed growth posture (a ~$402,789 funding round in October 2024, with PE-experienced Joakim Karlsson/Acumen as lead investor) with a real estate-led expansion strategy executed via partnerships with landlords such as Landsec (Finchley Road flagship) and FEC (Manchester Victoria North). Operations are led by CEO Tom Rooney with founder Jesper Konstantinov and a management team including a Director of Venue Operations, a Head of Property & Acquisition, and a Management Accountant. The company describes itself as a social-impact-driven operator, framing 600 free padel hours per court built for kids and a 250,000-hour community pledge as core to its brand.

Name

Social Sports Society

Legal name

Social Sports Ltd

Website

https://socialsportssociety.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Social Sports Society operates the S3 Padel network of padel tennis venues across the UK, serving individual consumers, community groups, and corporate clients. It generates revenue from pay-and-play court hire, tiered memberships (£7.50-£55/month), coaching classes, event hosting, and equipment sales, with a 250,000-hour community court-time pledge.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Padel Sports Facilities

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Tennis & Racquet Sports Clubs (Tennis, Padel, Pickleball, Squash) (MPAKABAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Racquet Sport Training Aids & Practice Equipment Retail (CRAMAFAJ)

Keywords

• Padel tennis venues
• Sports facility management
• Court booking services
• Community sports programs
• Membership sports clubs

Headquarters

HQ city

London

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Court Hire (Pay-and-Play): Customers book padel courts on an hourly basis through the Playtomic platform. Prices vary by venue. Customers can book as a group or individually and be matched with other players.
2. Membership Subscriptions: Tiered membership programs offering priority booking, discounted play rates, free racket rental, and exclusive member events. Plans include Players Pass, Unlimited Off Peak, All Access, and Annual Pass options at various price points.
3. Group Classes and Academy Sessions: Intro to Padel sessions, social events, technical coaching sessions, and skill-leveling classes available through the Academy section of Playtomic.
4. Event Hosting: Corporate events, work events, and social events hosted at venues with custom and off-the-shelf packages.
5. Equipment and Refreshments: Racket rentals, padel ball sales, and refreshments including soft drinks, smoothies, snacks, pizza, and licensed bar services available at pro shops.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Social Sports Society operates a network of padel tennis venues under the S3 Padel brand across the UK, offering pay-and-play court hire, tiered memberships (Players Pass, Unlimited Off Peak, All Access, Annual Pass), coaching and academy sessions, event hosting, and equipment and refreshment sales. Customers book and play through the Playtomic platform, with a social impact mission pledging 250,000 hours of free court time to schools, charities, and community groups.

Product overview

Social Sports Society operates S3 Padel, a network of padel tennis venues across the UK, with locations including Wembley, Sutton, Derby, Bristol (Filton and Brabazon), Brent Cross, Bangor, Finchley Road, Manchester Peary Street, Rugby, and Canning Town. The core S3 Padel product offers court bookings, coaching sessions (Intro to Padel, Technical Sessions, Social Sessions), and membership programs (Players Pass, Unlimited Off Peak, All Access tiers) through the Playtomic booking platform. Beyond padel courts, venues offer additional amenities including workout zones, shuffleboard, table tennis, boules, Pod Golf, pro shops, cafes, bars, and co-working spaces. The company also provides event hosting services and has partnered with schools and community organizations to deliver free padel hours.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• S3 Padel Venue Network (Court Hire) Pay-and-play hourly court hire across the S3 Padel venue network (Wembley, Sutton, Derby, Bristol-Filton, Bristol-Brabazon, Rugby, and planned sites), bookable individually or as a group and matched with other players via Playtomic. Open to individual consumers and small groups across the UK.
• S3 Memberships (Players Pass, Unlimited Off Peak, All Access, Annual Pass) Recurring monthly or annual membership tiers giving priority booking windows, discounted court rates, free racket rental, and members-only events. Available per venue at price points including approximately £7.50/month (Players Pass), £20/month (Unlimited Off Peak), £30-£55/month (All Access / Off Peak), and £360/year (Annual Pass at Sutton). Targeted at individual consumers and small groups playing padel regularly.
• Coaching and Academy Sessions (Intro to Padel, Social Sessions, Technical Sessions) Paid padel coaching and social sessions bookable through Playtomic, including beginner Intro to Padel sessions with equipment provided, Americano-format Social Sessions across Beginner, Intermediate, Advanced, Women's, and Family levels, and coach-led Technical Sessions covering volleys, overheads, and glass play. Targeted at individual consumers looking to learn or improve their padel.
• Event Hosting (Host With Us) Venue hire and event packages for corporate events, team building activities, and social functions at S3 Padel locations, with both custom and off-the-shelf options. Targeted at businesses and organised groups booking private or semi-private events.
• Pro Shop Equipment and Refreshments On-site sales at venue pro shops of racket rentals, padel balls, and a refreshment range including soft drinks, smoothies, snacks, pizza, and licensed bar service. Available to all venue visitors.
• Free Community Court Time (Social Impact Programme) Free padel court time and structured programmes delivered to schools, charities, youth organisations, and community groups in partnership with bodies such as Brent Council Public Health, Coachcore, and listed community partners. Targeted at underserved communities, schools, and charities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,000+ players served at single venue (Brent Cross) in 18 months
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• PlaytomiccoreTechnology or IntegrationPlaytomic is the booking technology partner powering court reservations, membership management, open match pairing, and class bookings. The partnership enables the digital-first customer experience through iOS/Android apps and web platform.
• The Padel School (Sandy Farquharson)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Padel School founder Sandy Farquharson serves as an ambassador, producing instructional content including Padel Rules 101 video, tips for beginners, and basic technique videos. The partnership supports player development and community engagement.
• LandsecmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Landsec to bring padel tennis to Finchley Road. Landsec is providing the real estate/venue space for the new 10-court facility with sauna and plunge pool, opening summer 2026.
• FEC (Manchester)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with FEC (Family Entertainment Centre) to bring padel tennis to Victoria North Development in Manchester, with 7 padel courts opening 2026.
• CoachcorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApprenticeship program partnership placing young people at S3 Padel venues. In first 8 months, placed apprentice Luke at Wembley site with focus on personal and professional growth through sport.
• Brent Council (Public Health)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Brent Council Public Health to deliver taster sessions, 6-week Introduction to Padel course, and ongoing community padel sessions. Focus on mental and physical health improvement.
• Community Partners (Camden United, Mass Iranian Association, Clarion School, Harris Academy, Volunteer Center Sutton, Regenerate Mentoring)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of community organisations receiving free hours of padel court time. Partners include Camden United, Mass Iranian Association, Clarion School, Harris Academy, Volunteer Center Sutton, and Regenerate Mentoring.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• David Lloyd Leisure: David Lloyd Leisure is a major UK premium health, racquet, and leisure club chain that has begun adding padel courts to its existing estate. It is a broad incumbent with overlapping racquet sports and family membership offerings, though it does not specialise exclusively in padel.
• Nuffield Health: Nuffield Health is a UK-wide network of health and fitness clubs that increasingly incorporates racquet sports. It is a broader incumbent competitor for member spend on racquet-based fitness and social sport.
• Better (GLL): Better operates public leisure centres across the UK on behalf of local authorities, including sports halls and courts. It represents broader public-sector competition for recreational sports participation, although it is not padel-specialised.

Others

• Playtomic: Playtomic is the booking and player-matching platform used by S3 Padel and most UK padel venues. It is an enabling technology partner/ecosystem participant, not a venue competitor, but its commercial terms directly affect S3's unit economics.

Direct peers

• Rocket Padel: Rocket Padel is one of the largest UK padel venue operators running multi-court indoor and outdoor padel clubs in London and other major cities, with comparable membership and pay-and-play models. It is the most direct head-to-head competitor to S3 Padel in the UK urban padel market.
• Padel Social Club: Padel Social Club operates multi-court padel venues across the UK with a social, community-led positioning that mirrors Social Sports Society's value proposition. It competes directly for urban players and corporate event bookings.
• Game4Padel: Game4Padel runs a UK padel club network with coaching, memberships, and social sessions, targeting similar recreational and amateur players. Its venue format and academy offerings closely overlap with S3 Padel's intro and social session programs.
• The Padel Hub: The Padel Hub is a UK multi-court padel operator with venues, coaching, and pay-and-play access. Comparable to S3 Padel in facility type, target customer (recreational and amateur padel players), and booking model.
• Electric Padel: Electric Padel operates padel clubs in the UK combining court hire, social events, and F&B, with a similar hospitality-driven positioning to S3 Padel's clubhouse-plus-bar venues.

Regional players

• Padel Inn: Padel Inn operates padel clubs primarily in Spain and other continental European markets with comparable court-hire and membership models. It is relevant as a regional comparable for venue economics and padel club operations outside the UK.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Social Sports Society