Owl AI Brings Electronic Line-Calling to Pro Pickleball

Pickleball is stepping into a new era of greater accuracy and fairness in officiating with a new partnership. This past week, Owl AI announced a partnership with Major League Pickleball (MLP) to introduce electronic line-calling to the pro game beginning in 2026.

With the partnership, Owl AI brings its software-based system that uses 4K video captured from cell phones, courtside cameras, or broadcast feeds to make real-time line calls. Unlike traditional high-cost systems that require expensive hardware installations, Owl AI’s approach is lightweight, flexible, and far more accessible for leagues, clubs, and recreational facilities.

This partnership is more than a tech upgrade. It’s a clear sign that pickleball is moving rapidly toward a more polished, professionalized product across all levels of professional pickleball.

When Hawk-Eye arrived in tennis, it didn’t just settle arguments, but it reshaped the entire viewing experience. Fans were suddenly invited into the decision-making process. For the first time, line calls became content as replay-ready, data-driven, and reliable. Players trusted the outcomes. Broadcasters gained a new storytelling tool. The sport felt bigger, bolder, and more modern.

Pickleball is now entering that same phase.

For a sport that has grown at breakneck speed, this investment represents a maturing ecosystem. Professional leagues want fewer controversies, tighter broadcasts, and a more equitable playing field. Owl AI is helping them take a step in the right direction.

And the timing couldn’t be better. As pickleball eyes wider audiences and stronger media partnerships, production-quality matters more than ever. Clean, indisputable officiating elevates the on-court product, giving broadcasters a more compelling package and giving viewers at home a clearer sense of what’s happening on court.

Just as importantly, Owl AI’s low-cost model democratizes access. Unlike tennis, where advanced line-calling technology remains mostly at the highest levels, pickleball could soon see electronic officiating not only in pro leagues but at clubs, academies, and even grassroots tournaments. That accessibility has always been one of pickleball’s superpowers, and now its tech is catching up.

Electronic line-calling is just the beginning. But it’s a sign that pickleball’s future is going to look more professional, more tech-enabled, and more globally scalable than ever before.