Celebrity Pickleball Series ‘The Wager,’ Hosted by Jason Kennedy, to Begin Streaming Later This Year (EXCLUSIVE)
variety.comMarc Malkin Senior Editor, Culture and Events Pureplay Entertainment’s “The Wager,” the celebrity pickleball series hosted by longtime TV personality Jason Kennedy, will begin streaming on Roku, Tubi, Xumo and Pluto in the coming months.
The show is currently airing regionally on NBC Sports, MSG Networks, BeIN Sports and more in over 100 markets. Episodes feature Kennedy and his pickleball partner, PPA pro Wes Burrows, as they compete against film, television and sports stars, including Taylor Lautner, Patrick Schwarzenegger, Shawn Johnson, Rande Gerber, Presley Gerber, Kit Hoover, Austin North, Johnny Lowe, Chandler Parsons, Bill Rancic, Colton Underwood, Golden Tate, David Dobrik and Eric Decker.
The teams wager bets before each match to determine consequences for the losing teams. These include charitable donations and others include embarrassing outcomes such as unfiltered social media takeovers from the opponents.
During halftime breaks, the teams chat about life and share off-the-court stories. “Pickleball captivates players of all ages, and we aimed to create an engaging way for everyone to experience the thrill from home, even if they’re just cheering from the sidelines,” producer Brynne Chappell said in statement. “When we discovered celebrity matches were already taking place, we realized that capturing this excitement would resonate with a broad audience,” she added. “We’re incredibly fortunate to have such great talent on the court in season one and to have partnered with incredible platforms that will bring this show to millions of viewers.” Chappell and Dan McClung of Pureplay Entertainment produced the series alongside Kennedy and Genia Edelman.
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