SM Supermalls expands mall-based pickleball network with more courts and tournaments
SM Supermalls reached 86 pickleball courts in 29 malls as its Trio Challenge moved toward Grand Finals, with bookings handled through the SM Malls Online app.
SM Supermalls pushed its pickleball network to 86 courts across 29 malls as the SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge continued toward its Grand Finals, turning the sport into a repeatable mall circuit in the Philippines. The expansion puts court access, tournament play, and everyday shopping under one roof, making pickleball easier to fit into a single visit.
The scale-up did not happen all at once. SM said it closed 2025 with 61 pickleball court locations across 25 properties and 37 permanent courts, the largest total among mall operators. The rollout began earlier with permanent courts at SM City Sta. Mesa, SM City Bicutan, and SM City Marikina on May 2, 2025, then expanded to SM Center Shaw and SM Center Muntinlupa on January 7, 2026. By June 2026, SM Active Hub had grown to 86 courts nationwide, a figure SM and Philstar each tied to the country’s largest mall-based pickleball network.
The booking model is built for accessibility. SM’s official pickleball page says the courts are available nationwide and can be reserved through the SM Malls Online app, which folds court access into the same retail ecosystem that already handles food, shopping, and entertainment. That setup is part of what gives the network destination appeal: players can arrive, play, eat, and stay inside a single mall complex without needing a separate club membership or an outdoor venue with weather risk.
The competition side is becoming more structured as well. SM announced on April 22, 2026 that it was rolling out the SM Active Hub Pickleball Trio Challenge as a tournament series centered on competition, teamwork, and community, alongside the first-ever PBF Youth Cup for aspiring bowlers. A May 11 tournament guide set Trio Challenge registration at 5,700 per team and required each squad to field three players, including at least one woman. By June 23, 2026, the challenge was still moving through its bracket toward the Grand Finals, giving the network a clear seasonal rhythm rather than a one-off exhibition.
That is the real test of SM Supermalls’ pickleball push: not just whether it can add courts, but whether those courts can keep feeding a tournament path that feels bookable, accessible, and worth returning to. With 86 courts spread across 29 malls, the company is already treating pickleball less like a perk and more like an anchor attraction.
This article was produced by Prism’s automated news system from verified source data, official records, and press releases, then run through automated quality and moderation checks before publishing. The system is built and supervised by the people who set the standards it runs under. Read our full AI policy.
Did this article answer your question?
