Pickler

What Pickler does

Pickler, operating under the brand 'Inside the Den', is a privately-held digital content and online education company focused exclusively on the sport of pickleball. Founded in 2017 by Stacie Townsend (a former college, professional, and international fastpitch softball player) and headquartered in Naples, Florida, the company operates as the official publication of the US Open Pickleball Championships and is part of the Pickle4 family of pickleball properties. It serves amateur pickleball players, coaches, and tournament players through a content-plus-education model built around a flagship video course, supplemental e-books, a long-form blog, and a free email newsletter.

The company's core product is My Pro Pickleball Coach, a one-time-purchase online video course co-developed with professional coach Steve Kennedy, containing over 140 video lessons (more than 7 hours of instruction) plus a companion e-book covering mechanics, fundamentals, strategy, and advanced concepts. Supporting products include Pickleball 101 (beginner guide), The Pickleball Mental Edge, the Pickleball Dictionary, and a continuously updated blog and newsletter with 150,000+ subscribers. The technology layer is a straightforward digital content platform (thepickler.vhx.tv) that delivers video and e-book content via immediate email access links on purchase, with no disclosed AI, mobile app, or API surface.

The business model combines a freemium content funnel (free newsletter and blog drive top-of-funnel traffic) with a one-time-license monetization event on the video course and e-books. Pricing is not publicly disclosed but is positioned as an affordable alternative to in-person pickleball clinics. Distribution is direct-to-consumer through the company's own e-commerce storefront and content sites, augmented by organic social (Facebook, Instagram), podcast/multimedia, and free e-book lead magnets. The company has no disclosed external funding, no institutional investors, and operates with a 1-10 employee footprint, placing it firmly in the small lifestyle-business / niche-media category rather than a venture-scale entity.

Name

Pickler

Legal name

Pickler

Website

https://thepickler.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pickler (Inside the Den) is a privately-held pickleball media and online education company that publishes a free newsletter reaching 150,000+ subscribers and sells a flagship video course and e-books to amateur pickleball players, coaches, and tournament competitors, operating as the official publication of the US Open Pickleball Championships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

West Palm Beach

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Digital Commerce or Content

Cost components

Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Video Course Sales: One-time purchase of My Pro Pickleball Coach video collection and e-book. Features over 140 video lessons and a bonus e-book companion. Delivered digitally with immediate access upon purchase.
2. Newsletter Subscription: Free newsletter with 150,000+ subscribers providing pickleball tips, strategies, and stories. May include upsell opportunities to premium content.
3. E-book Sales: Bonus ebook companion 'My Pro Pickleball Coach with Coach Steve Kennedy: Everything You Need to Know to Play Your Best Pickleball and to Play Winning Pickleball' by Stacie Townsend included with video course purchase.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Pickler (also known as Inside the Den) is a pickleball media and education company that sells online video courses, e-books, and free educational content directly to recreational pickleball players. Its flagship product, "My Pro Pickleball Coach," is a 140+ lesson (7+ hours) online video course plus a companion e-book co-created with professional coach Steve Kennedy, sold as a one-time purchase with instant digital delivery. The company also publishes a free newsletter (150,000+ subscribers) and blog, and operates as the official publication of the US Open Pickleball Championships.

Product overview

Pickler (also known as Inside the Den) is a pickleball media and education company that offers a suite of training resources centered around its flagship video course, My Pro Pickleball Coach. The core product portfolio includes video lessons and e-books covering pickleball mechanics, fundamentals, strategy, and advanced concepts, taught by professional coach Steve Kennedy. Supporting products include the Pickleball 101 beginner's guide, The Pickleball Mental Edge for psychological training, the Pickleball Dictionary for terminology, a regularly updated free blog with strategy articles, and a free newsletter with over 150,000 subscribers. The company also publishes content for the US Open Pickleball Championships and is part of the Pickle4 family of pickleball organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• My Pro Pickleball Coach Online video course featuring over 140 video lessons (over 7 hours of instruction) and a corresponding e-book that teaches pickleball mechanics, fundamentals, strategy, advanced concepts, and drills; created in partnership with pickleball pro and coach Steve Kennedy and sold as a one-time purchase with instant digital delivery.
• Pickleball 101 Comprehensive beginner's guide that covers everything needed to start playing pickleball, including equipment, rules, court dimensions, benefits, where to play, and improvement tips.
• The Pickleball Mental Edge Mental training resource focusing on the psychological aspects of pickleball, including mental toughness, focus, and strategic thinking on the court.
• Pickleball Dictionary Reference guide that teaches pickleball vocabulary and terminology for players learning the sport.

Quantifiable outcome

• Testimonials indicate users improved from 3.0 to 5.0+ pickleball player rating through video course

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pickle4coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPickle4 is the parent/organizing entity for the Pickle4 family which includes Inside the Den, US Open Pickleball Championships, Ballpark Series, Pickleball Den, and USOP Academy. Inside the Den is an official publication of this ecosystem.
• US Open Pickleball ChampionshipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInside the Den is a publication of the US Open Pickleball Championships, the premier pickleball tournament event. This relationship provides content authority and exclusive access to professional insights and tournament coverage.
• Steve KennedycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional pickleball player and coach who co-created My Pro Pickleball Coach video course with Stacie Townsend. Provides all coaching instruction for the video curriculum.
• Ballpark SeriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Pickle4 family of pickleball properties. Major pickleball tournament series.
• USOP AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Pickle4 family. Training academy associated with the US Open Pickleball Championships.
• USA PickleballminorOthersThe USA Pickleball Association (formerly USAPA) publishes the Official Rulebook and sanctions tournaments. Referenced for rules content and tournament information.
• International Federation of Pickleball (IFP)minorOthersInternational governing body for pickleball that adapted the Official Rulebook since 2010. Referenced for rules content.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• USA Pickleball: USA Pickleball is the national governing body for the sport in the US, publishing the official rulebook, sanctioning tournaments, and producing educational content for amateur players that overlaps with Pickler's editorial coverage.
• DUPR: DUPR (Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating) is a rating and ranking platform for pickleball players that provides content and instructional resources to its user base, adjacent to Pickler's audience of amateur pickleball players.
• Major League Pickleball: Major League Pickleball is a premier pickleball team tournament league that produces news, player coverage, and educational content around its events, adjacent to Pickler's editorial coverage.

Broad incumbents

• Selkirk Sport: Selkirk Sport is a leading pickleball paddle and equipment brand that operates a substantial media arm (Selkirk TV, podcasts, blogs) producing instructional content that competes for the same enthusiast audience attention as Pickler/Inside the Den.
• PPA Tour: The Professional Pickleball Association (PPA) Tour runs the top professional pickleball tournament circuit and produces extensive news, instructional content, and player stories for the same amateur pickleball enthusiast audience Pickler targets.
• Engage Pickleball: Engage Pickleball is a major paddle brand that produces educational videos, blogs, and coaching tips on its channels to support equipment sales, overlapping with Pickler's instructional content mission.

Direct peers

• Pickleball Magazine: Pickleball Magazine is a print and digital publication dedicated to pickleball news, instruction, and tournament coverage, serving the same amateur and enthusiast audience as Pickler/Inside the Den with directly overlapping editorial and instructional content.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/picklerllc
• Instagraminstagram.com/picklerpickleball
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/picklerpickleball

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Pickler