Ray Colaiacovo is an Emmy Award–winning producer and the owner of Digital Wave Productions TV, Inc. He is also the creator and owner of PickleTV247, the world’s first 24-hour television channel dedicated exclusively to pickleball. Available across Amazon platforms and numerous additional networks, PickleTV247 reaches more than 250 million homes worldwide.

With an extensive background in sports broadcasting and live production, Ray has played a groundbreaking role in elevating pickleball to the national stage. His work has helped define industry standards for how the sport is filmed, produced, and presented on television.

In 2015–2016, Ray became the first person to bring pickleball to a national broadcast network when he successfully pitched and produced the US Open of Pickleball for CBS. What began as a one-hour, tape-delayed broadcast has since evolved into more than ten hours of live national coverage for the 2025 US Open.

During this period, Ray pioneered several innovative broadcast techniques that reshaped how pickleball is viewed, including the introduction of the Kitchen Camera, which provided audiences with an entirely new and immersive perspective of the game.

Following the success of the US Open of Pickleball, Ray played a key role in helping launch the Professional Pickleball Association (PPA). He designed the league’s broadcast style and technical presentation and produced every piece of live PPA content during its first two and a half years, establishing the league’s media identity and laying the foundation for its national success.

Ray also revolutionized pickleball officiating by introducing instant replay and line-call review technology. He was the first to convince PPA leadership to implement replay at a live event in California, significantly improving transparency, fairness, and viewer engagement.

As a result of these innovations, PPA broadcasts expanded to major national networks including Fox Sports, ESPN, and CBS. Ray’s efforts also played a critical role in securing PPA’s partnership with the Tennis Channel, an important milestone in pickleball’s journey into the mainstream.

Notably, when Ray first approached the Tennis Channel in 2015 about airing the US Open of Pickleball, the proposal was declined. Eight years later, the network became a part-owner of a professional pickleball league, underscoring the sport’s explosive growth—growth Ray helped drive from the very beginning.

Beyond the PPA, Ray was instrumental in launching Major League Pickleball (MLP), bringing its first three events to national television when they were originally planned for local affiliate distribution only.

He also helped elevate the APP Tour by producing and airing its first-ever national broadcast on CBS, live from the Delray Beach Tennis Center in Florida.

Recognizing his expertise, the National Pickleball League (NPL) hired Ray and Digital Wave Productions to package and produce its championship events for two consecutive years, held in Arizona and Ohio.

Ray’s influence extends beyond league broadcasts. He has served as a consultant to major pickleball organizations, including the National Collegiate Pickleball Association (NCPA), World Pickleball, and Pickle4. Through this work, he helped develop the innovative Ballpark Series, which brought professional pickleball into iconic baseball stadiums such as Fenway Park (Boston) and Oracle Park (San Francisco).

In addition to producing more than 100 live sports events annually across multiple networks, Ray has expanded into the pickleball equipment space. He is the founder of Ninja Pickleball Club, a brand offering a full line of paddles, balls, and bags available at NinjaPickleballClub.com.

With decades of experience in live sports production, broadcasting innovation, and event development, Ray Colaiacovo remains a driving force behind pickleball’s rapid growth and its continued expansion across national and global media platforms.