UK padel’s next opportunity lies not simply in building more courts, but in converting occasional demand into regular, affordable participation, according to the 2026 UK Padel Report from Oxygen Consulting.
Researched and written by Ray Algar, managing director of Oxygen Consulting, the report examines growth, pricing and participation in the fast-scaling sport. It argues that padel’s long-term success will depend less on awareness and one-off trial alone, and more on whether operators, landlords, clubs, councils and investors can create venue models that support repeat play.
The report was launched at an event hosted by real estate firm Savills in London on 10th June. Attended by more than 100 senior figures from across the UK padel, sport, leisure and property sectors, the event reflected the sport’s growing relevance to landlords, mixed-use locations and the wider leisure property market in the country.
The report identifies a potential peak-time value-perception gap in UK padel. The UK’s nine largest chargeable padel operators, measured by number of courts, have a median peak-time court price of £42 per court hour.
By comparison, Oxygen Consulting’s player price-sensitivity research, based on a weekday evening booking between 6pm and 9pm, found acceptable price ranges of approximately £13–£21 for outdoor uncovered courts, £15–£25 for outdoor covered courts and £18–£28 for indoor courts.
These ranges are not recommended prices; they are national player value benchmarks. The report notes that operators can charge more, but the premium has to be earned by the proposition, especially as players gain more choice.
Ray Algar, author of the report and managing director of Oxygen Consulting, said: “The most exciting opportunity for UK padel is to find the point where commercial sustainability and social value reinforce each other. By social value, I mean the benefits beyond financial returns: helping more people to be active, feel connected, improve wellbeing and access sport more easily.
“Venues need to support significant infrastructure investment, appropriate staffing and a high-quality player experience, but players also need the price and access to make padel a repeatable habit. Get that balance right, and padel becomes much more than a fast-growing leisure product.”
The 2026 UK Padel Report examines growth, pricing and participation in the fast-scaling sport. Image credit: Oxygen Consulting.
Access to padel beginning to broaden
The 2026 UK Padel Report finds early evidence that access is beginning to broaden, although provision remains uneven. In England’s most deprived neighbourhoods, padel venue provision increased from six venues at December 2024 to 33 venues at December 2025, rising from 3% to 8% of English venues.
However, access remains uneven: 60% of venues are located in less deprived neighbourhoods, compared with 40% in more deprived neighbourhoods. The analysis uses the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), where decile 1 represents the most deprived neighbourhoods and decile 10 the least deprived.
The updated IMD 2025 baseline means this is not a strict like-for-like comparison, but the direction of travel suggests padel may be moving beyond its early affluent base.
The report also highlights the importance of delivery models. Rugby clubs, golf clubs, leisure centres, councils and other community-rooted organisations are increasingly involved in padel, but often as landlords or site hosts rather than direct operators.
Oxygen Consulting argues that community land can help expand provision, but may not automatically influence who plays, how often they play or how the sport is priced. The next phase may therefore require partnership models in which public, community and not-for-profit asset owners help shape access, pricing and programming, rather than simply hosting commercial provision.
For operators, the challenge is different but connected. The report notes that in a more competitive market, padel venues will need to move beyond simply providing courts and build a clearer reason to be chosen. It says the goal is to become the player’s “home venue”: the place they return to because the format, price, location, programming and social atmosphere make it feel worth belonging to, not just worth booking.
Jess Hill, associate director, UK Restaurants & Leisure at Savills, commented: “Padel has moved beyond being a short‑term activation tool and is now a commercially credible part of landlord strategy. What we are seeing is a more data‑led, selective and sophisticated market, where operators are better defined and landlords are increasingly viewing padel as a means to drive sustained footfall, strengthen tenant mix and enhance the overall performance of mixed‑use schemes.”
Ray Algar, managing director of Oxygen Consulting, and author of the 2026 UK Padel Report. Image credit: Oxygen Consulting.
2026 UK Padel Report: Key findings
Sustainable participation is the next opportunity
Padel’s long-term value depends on converting occasional demand into regular play. Awareness, interest and one-off trial are useful signs of market reach, but sustainable venues and wider health impact depend on people returning often enough for padel to become part of their active lives.
Peak-time pricing may be testing perceived value
The UK’s nine largest padel operators, measured by number of courts, have a median peak-time court price of £42 per court hour. Oxygen Consulting’s player research, based on a weekday evening booking between 6pm and 9pm, found lower acceptable price ranges: £13–£21 for outdoor uncovered courts, £15–£25 for outdoor covered courts and £18–£28 for indoor courts. These are not recommended prices, but national player value benchmarks. Operators can charge more, but the premium has to be earned by the proposition.
Venue proposition will determine pricing power
Players do not value all courts equally. The report finds that price tolerance rises as the playing proposition strengthens, with players paying not simply for court access but for weather protection, comfort, facilities, reliability and overall experience.
Access is beginning to broaden, but remains uneven
In England’s most deprived neighbourhoods, padel venue provision increased from six venues at December 2024 to 33 venues at December 2025, rising from 3% to 8% of English venues. However, provision remains weighted towards less deprived communities overall. Using the Index of Multiple Deprivation (IMD), where decile 1 represents the most deprived neighbourhoods and decile 10 the least deprived, 60% of venues are located in less deprived deciles 6–10, compared with 40% in more deprived deciles 1–5. The updated IMD 2025 baseline means this should be treated as directional rather than a strict like-for-like comparison.
Delivery models will shape social value
Community-rooted organisations are increasingly involved in padel, but broader social value – the benefits beyond financial returns, such as physical activity, wellbeing, social connection and wider access to sport – may require partnership models that influence pricing, programming and access, not just land use.
· To purchase and download the 2026 UK Padel Report visit: https://oxygen-consulting.co.uk/product/2026-uk-padel-report-growth-pricing-and-participation-in-a-scaling-sport/
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