When Dak Prescott is in a pickle, usually it’s because an Eagles defensive lineman is chasing him around the backfield. But now the Cowboys QB has found a new pickle-related pursuit: He’s become one of the owners of the Frisco Pandas, a Major League Pickleball franchise.
In March, Frisco-based Dude Perfect—five friends whose trick-shot videos and wild stunts have amassed 59 million YouTube subscribers—became investors in the team, then known as the Frisco Clean Clause. At the time Major League Pickleball Founder Steve Kuhn said the deal valued the franchise at $5 million, according to Sportico.
On Thursday, Members of Dude Perfect posed with Prescott in the photo above for an Instagram post announcing Prescott’s Pandas ownership stake: “Pumped to welcome Dak Prescott (@_4dak) as the newest owner of the Frisco Pandas!” the Dudes wrote in the post for their 11.7 million Instagram followers.
Financial terms haven’t been disclosed, and it’s unclear what percentage of the franchise Prescott and the Dudes own. The Pandas’ next team action is slated to begin in two weeks at an MLP tournament in San Clemente, California, that swats off on June 15.
MLP investors include Mark Cuban, LeBron James, Patrick Mahomes, and more
Something about pickleball seems to be attracting lots of sports stars and celebrities to the MLP’s 24-team ownership circle. Other MLP investors include L.A. Lakers superstar LeBron James, Super Bowl champion Patrick Mahomes, Buffalo Bills QB Josh Allen, the Boston Celtics’ Jayson Tatum, World Chess Champion Magnus Carlsen, and more.
“It’s thrilling to add this collection of influential athletes and entertainers to Major League Pickleball’s team ownership groups,” Kuhn, MLP’s founder, said in a statement about all the recently announced new owners. “Their ability to reach young fans will be a key component in helping MLP and the sport of pickleball continue on our current rapid growth track.”
Oh—and Dallas Mavericks owner Mark Cuban is an investor, too.
In November, Cuban was named the first team owner of the Professional Pickleball Association’s six-team VIBE Pickleball League, slated to launch in 2023. “I couldn’t pass up the chance to invest in the fastest-growing game in the country,” Cuban said at the time.
Soon after, Kuhn’s Major League Pickleball and the PPA’s VIBE League announced a strategic merger to unify the sport under the Major League Pickleball brand.
Why was the Frisco team’s name changed to the Pandas?
The Instagram post above announces the franchise’s name change to the Frisco Pandas—which shouldn’t be a surprise. “Panda” has been featured as the Dude Perfect company mascot, as well as the gang’s only costumed character, and has led to countless theories about who was inside the costume.
Dude Perfect is seeking to develop a 10-acre HQ/entertainment park
Dude Perfect has its fingers in a lot of pies. Last September, the company teamed up with San Antonio architecture firm Overland Partners to develop a planned $100 million, 10-acre headquarters project that it calls “Dude Perfect World.”
When we last wrote about the project in February, no site for the project had been selected, but Frisco was one of the cities to whom the Dudes had sent bid requests.
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