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Hong Kong’s ViuTV is capitalizing on the global pickleball craze with a new weekday primetime series, “Company! I Want to Play Pickleball,” which premiered Monday at 10:30 p.m. The show pits a corporate team of actor-athletes against an all-star celebrity lineup, with professional pickleball players coaching both sides in a tournament format blending sport and entertainment.
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A Fresh Format for a Fast-Growing Sport
Pickleball—a hybrid of tennis, badminton, and ping-pong—has exploded in popularity worldwide, and Hong Kong is no exception. ViuTV’s new show taps into that momentum by assembling two teams of well-known faces, each captained by a celebrity, and staging multiple singles and doubles matches over the series.
The first episode, aired June 10, introduced the hosts and revealed the full rosters. Veteran sports presenter Keyman Ma and actress-turned-host Mei-Kuen Lin (known as “Kuen Jie”) anchor the show.
Corporate Team: Newbies with Attitude
The “Company Representative Team” is led by male captain Brian Chan and female captain Gi Fan. Their roster includes seasoned ViuTV personalities such as Johnny (Kiang Nei), Hailey Chan, Colin Chan, Kathy Wong, Dixon Wong, Lyman Heung, Yoyo Kot, Sarika Tsoi, Kai Cheung, Hei Law, and NB Ngai.
During a pre-tournament team meeting, Fan turned to AI for naming inspiration, generating laughable suggestions like “Pickle Maker” and “Group Photo.” Mishy Li proposed “Midlife Crisis Pickle” only to be mocked by Johnny. Kai provoked gasps with a politically sensitive term before the team settled on “Sang Ding”—Cantonese slang for “raw newcomer” implying both inexperience and energy. Host Lin dismissed the name as “too plain.”
All-Star Team: A Mix of Music and Acting Talent
The opposing “Star Invitation Team” is captained by singer Alfred Hui. Its members include veteran actor Wong Tak-bun, singers Chiu Fung Leung and Angus Yeung, comedian Yan Cheng, fencer Cheung Siu-lun, actresses Sin-yan Tam and Mischa Ip, and models Jie Zhou, Jaime Cheung, and Renee Li.
When Sin-yan Tam introduced their team name “Feel But Not See,” Kuen Jie cracked a joke about it sounding like a personal confession. Tam clarified the name was actually “View But Not Lose,” then issued a bold challenge: “View not lose, lose not possible!” Captain Fan retaliated with an improvised cheer for her own team: “Sang Ding, Sang Ding, calm under pressure, we’ll turn you into egg pudding!” Her teammates quickly distanced themselves from the awkward chant.
Rules, Strategy, and a Cocky Prediction
The competition will include both singles and doubles matches. Hui revealed he had already organized secret training sessions before the first match day, dividing his team into pairs for chemistry. When asked about the gap in skill levels between the two sides, Hui admitted there was a difference but insisted his team would stay humble—then promptly predicted a 4-1 victory for his squad.
Broader Impact
The show arrives amid a pickleball boom in Asia, with courts popping up across Hong Kong and mainland China. By mixing celebrity appeal with actual athletic competition, ViuTV is betting that the sport’s accessibility—lower impact than tennis, faster than badminton—will hook viewers who might never have picked up a paddle. Industry analysts see the series as a potential template for other networks seeking to marry reality entertainment with trend-driven sports.
Next Steps
New episodes air Monday through Friday at 10:30 p.m. on ViuTV. The series is expected to run for several weeks, with elimination rounds leading to a final championship match. Viewers can also catch behind-the-scenes clips and team training diaries on ViuTV’s social media channels.