May 18, 2026
Welcome to episode 251 of Sports Management Podcast.
In today’s episode, we are joined by Daren Hornig, CEO of Courts App — a marketplace often described as the “Expedia for racket sports,” helping players find and book courts anytime, anywhere.
In this episode, we spoke about:
- Building a two-sided marketplace for racket sports
- How AI is transforming sports facility access
- The explosive growth of pickleball and padel
- Why most sports careers aren’t what people expect
Timestamps:
00:00 Introduction to Courts App
00:19 What Is the “Expedia for Racket Sports”?
01:12 The Problem: Unused Courts
02:17 Why Technology Was Missing in Racket Sports
03:36 AI Integration & ChatGPT Booking
04:24 AI Concierge “Hey Courtney”
05:19 Tech Background & Startup Lessons
06:56 Why He Entered Racket Sports
07:48 Marketplace Model Explained
08:31 Growth of Padel & Pickleball
09:17 Transition from Real Estate to Tech
10:53 Building the Right Startup Team
11:45 Challenges in a Fragmented Industry
14:58 AI, Free Time & Sports Growth
16:29 Dynamic Pricing & Increasing Participation
27:58 Why Working in Sports Isn’t What You Think
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