The PPA Tour Is Getting Its Own Reality Show — And Godfather Family Are In It

Pro pickleball is about to have its Netflix moment. A new six-part unscripted docuseries called Partners is premiering May 5 on Prime Video, the Carvana PPA Tour YouTube channel, and PickleballTV — and it pulls back the curtain on everything fans have always wondered about life on tour.

Shutterstock Studios produced it. And based on the trailer that just dropped, they did not come to play it safe.

"It's kind of like a traveling circus," says Anna Bright in the opening. That pretty much sets the tone.

What the Show Is

Partners is a six-episode deep dive into the rivalries, relationships, and pressure that define the pro pickleball circuit. On-court battles. Off-court drama. Business decisions with real stakes. Relationships that get complicated when you train, travel, and compete against the same people week after week. The show's own description puts it plainly: the world's best players don't just compete against each other — they train together, travel together, and date each other. When they step on the court, it's all on the line.

PPA Tour Founder and CEO Connor Pardoe and MLP Commissioner Samin Odhwani both appear, giving the series access and credibility that a produced highlight package never could.

The Roster

The trailer features a who's who of the tour — Anna Leigh Waters, Anna Bright, Ben Johns, Catherine Parenteau, Federico Staksrud, Hayden Patriquin, Hunter Johnson, Jaume Martinez Vich, Kate Fahey, Parris Todd, Rachel Rohrabacher, Zane Navratil, CJ Klinger, and Christian Alshon.

And yes — Gabe Tardio is on the list. Our guy, the world's top-ranked men's doubles player, is part of the cast. If you've been following his run this season — undefeated alongside Ben Johns, just made his Asian debut in Hanoi — this is the next chapter of a story that keeps getting bigger.

Why It Matters

This is not a highlight reel. This is not a promo clip. This is a major streaming platform betting real production dollars on professional pickleball as entertainment — the same format that turned other niche sports into mainstream obsessions.

Shutterstock Studios' Mark Infante described it simply: the access they received from the PPA Tour placed them directly inside the action — close to the players, the decisions, and the dynamics. That is a different product than anything the sport has put in front of a mass audience before.

Pickleball has been building. The Hanoi Cup drew crowds that set world records. The PPA Tour is now a globally unified ranking system. MLP franchises are real businesses. And now there is a reality show on Prime Video.

The sport is not coming. It is here.

Partners premieres May 5. Watch for Gabe Tardio. You already know what he's capable of on the court — now see what the cameras caught off it.

Follow the Godfather Pickleball roster and shop pro-endorsed gear at godfatherpickleball.com