The Dead Take the Court: Grateful Dead Pickleball and Padel Gear Is Coming
The Grateful Dead’s unmistakable artwork is heading to the racquet sports world. On November 5, 2026, Agassi Sports Licensing LLC, a subsidiary of Agassi Sports Entertainment Corp. (OTC: AASP), signed an official merchandise licensing agreement with Rhino Entertainment to produce and distribute Grateful Dead branded pickleball and padel products around the globe. The deal pairs the racquet sports venture chaired by eight time Grand Slam champion Andre Agassi with the band’s classic visual iconography, and it covers court equipment, apparel and accessories.
Who Is Involved and What They Get
Agassi Sports Licensing operates under Agassi Sports Entertainment Corp., the global racquet sports company chaired by Andre Agassi, which focuses on pickleball, padel and tennis. On the other side of the table is Rhino Entertainment, the catalog and merchandising division of Warner Music Group, which manages official licensing for the Grateful Dead.
The agreement grants Agassi Sports Licensing worldwide rights to design, manufacture and distribute the co-branded line through both retail and online channels. That global reach matters, because pickleball and padel are two of the fastest growing racquet sports in the world, and the Dead’s imagery already travels well far beyond the concert hall.
What Is Planned
The line is built around the artwork Deadheads recognize from across the room. It is set to feature the Steal Your Face skull, the Dancing Bears, Skull and Roses, and tie-dye patterns, applied across hard goods, apparel and accessories.
A Natural Crossover for a Community That Plays
On first read, a Grateful Dead pickleball paddle might sound like a stretch. It is less of one than it seems. Pickleball and padel are social sports, built around friendly doubles, long afternoons and a relaxed, communal energy, and that spirit is not far from the culture the Dead’s audience built around the music. The band’s imagery has long appeared on everything from apparel to lifestyle goods, so a court collection extends the same idea into one more corner of daily life.
For collectors, it also adds another category to a merchandise catalog that keeps growing. The Dead’s artwork has proven durable across generations, and each new licensing partnership finds a new group of fans who want to carry it into whatever they do, including a Saturday morning on the courts.
Release Details Still to Come
The announcement covers the scope of the agreement and the planned product categories, but it does not include a launch date, pricing or a list of retail partners. We will pass along those details as soon as they are made public. In the meantime, you can follow the company behind the line through the Agassi Sports Entertainment website.
