Sports Management Podcast

Release Date: 11-24-2025 00:30

Welcome to episode 218 of Sports Management Podcast.

Today's guest is Luis Fernando Ramirez – the CEO of National Padel League  (NPL)

We spoke about:

  • Juggling being CEO of NFL with commercial responsibilities for Bull Padel
  • Padel's potential in the US
  • Challenges and opportunities for Padel
  • The importance of digital broadcast and streaming

And much more!

Time stamps:

00:00 Intro
00:42  Why Luis rebuilt the NPL from scratch
02:10  The first version of the league — what was broken
04:03  How the NPL expanded to 42 cities
06:58  The business model behind the league
08:20  How Racket360 powers streaming + scoring
11:12  Creating the NPL pyramid: juniors ? amateurs ? pros
14:33  The partnership with USPA
16:48  Why amateurs are the key to U.S. padel's growth
18:26  Why padel is exploding in the U.S. (data + trends)
21:17  The long-term vision — becoming the MLS of padel
24:09  The future of pro padel in America
26:40  How to build sustainable leagues
29:55  Luis' advice for young sports professionals
35:00 Outro

 

Follow Sports Management Podcast on social media

Instagram
Twitter
LinkedIn
YouTube

www.sportsmanagementpodcast.com