DUPR Introduces New Social Media Feature – Feeds
Pickleball’s Leading Ratings System Makes the Social Game More Social
(Originally published January 29, 2024)
To pickleball players, DUPR is many things: A ratings system, an easy way to scout opponents, a governing body for collegiate pickleball. Now, the multi-hyphenate pickleball platform is adding social media to that list.
DUPR unveiled a new feature this week, called DUPR Feeds, which will essentially serve as a social media platform for pickleball players. Users can follow friends, post pictures, videos, text, and match results, and keep up with what’s going on in the pickleball world.
What is the Feeds Feature?
DUPR Feeds will function as an all-in-one pickleball social media platform, taking elements of Instagram, Facebook and Twitter and turning them into a single site where pickleball players can connect with friends. Players can generate posts for their followers to see – either Instagram-style photos or Twitter-style blurbs. They can also post footage from their matches, giving their friends a chance to see their best dinks and smashes. Users can like or comment on posts as well.
But there are some DUPR-specific features as well that don’t resemble other social media platforms. Most notably, players can post match results on their feeds after they’re uploaded to DUPR. This gives users an easy way to share their progress on the court with friends. Users can also tag other players in their posts, giving them a way to highlight their doubles partners and teammates as well.
The Feeds feature was added to DUPR’s app late last week. Feeds will be available on DUPR’s website later this week as well.
Pickleball and Community
As the rare sport that’s accessible to nearly all ages, pickleball has built a reputation for its ability to build community. Players tout the social nature of the sport – it’s usually played in doubles, and as a primarily recreational sport, it turns opponents into friends, not enemies.
DUPR’s new feature takes advantage of this, by giving players a chance to take their pickleball circles online. Pickleballers can follow friends they meet on the court, keep up with matches within their communities, and post updates for their pickleball circles to see.
About DUPR
Created in 2021 by MLP founder Steve Kuhn, the Dynamic Universal Pickleball Rating is the leading ratings system in the sport. Its algorithm uses match results and opponents’ ratings to give each player a grade on a scale on 2.0 to 8.0, with ratings above 5 typically reserved for professional-caliber players. Currently, DUPR has over 500,000 users and is growing at a rate of 20% per month. Just last week, a high-profile group including tennis legend Andre Agassi bought an $8 million stake in DUPR.
What This Means For DUPR
This feature figures to be a big step for DUPR as they look to continue their growth and become the essential platform for all pickleball players. By adding a pickleball-specific social media platform, DUPR is well positioned to capture a market that includes over 36.5 million pickleball players in the U.S. alone.