Rocket drops Playtomic for Padel Mates
Rocket drops Playtomic for Padel Mates
One of the UK’s leading padel operators has announced it’s shifting booking platforms, moving from Playtomic to Padel Mates over the coming weeks in what has been described as a ‘major milestone’.
Well-regarded Rocket Padel, one of the largest club operators in the UK with 35 courts across centres in Bristol, Ilford, Battersea and Beckton, is switching to Padel Mates from market-leading Playtomic for a number of reasons, including gaining access to player data and streamlining club operations.
Rocket Padel Beckton, which opens tomorrow (May 7th) with five indoor courts, will be the first to go live on Padel Mates, with other clubs following on June 10th. The decision also affects Rocket Padel venues in Denmark.
Fredrik Kristensson, who heads up Rocket Padel’s UK operation, said: “We are thrilled to have a system that not only supports our rapid growth but also offers the features that perfectly align with our business model. With Padel Mates we can take our operations and customer experience to the next level.”
Daniel Dawood, founder and CEO of Padel Mates, added: “Welcoming Rocket Padel – the leading indoor padel chain in Europe – to the Padel Mates platform is a major milestone for us. It’s exciting to partner with an organisation that shares our passion for innovation and delivering a top-tier experience for players across the continent.”
The news is sure to send ripples through the UK padel industry given the size of Rocket Padel’s operation, its influence and the fact that Playtomic has the vast majority of English padel providers signed up to its platform.
An industry commentator told The Bandeja: “On the face of it this is surprising news but actually it shouldn’t be. Clubs using the Playtomic platform don’t own their own data, which is a huge drawback for them. It’s also likely to be more expensive than, say Padel Mates, which for operators like Rocket running at scale can represent a significant amount of money. It will be interesting to see how the news lands and if more operators jump ship.”
Rocket is describing the move as a ‘global partnership’ with Padel Mates, which it described as offering a ‘modern, all-in-one solution that enhances the member experience and streamlines club operations’.
Access to player data is a key draw for the organisation, as a spokesman outlined: “Our clubs retain full access to data, enabling smarter communication, segmented offers and seamless integration with business intelligence systems through a powerful API.”
He added: “Padel Mates’ smart design and automation features significantly reduce administrative tasks, allowing clubs to focus on delivering more creative and engaging events.
“By partnering with Padel Mates, Rocket Padel will stay ahead of the curve, delivering a modern, functional and highly engaging experience that meets the needs of padel players in 2025 and beyond. Together, Rocket Padel and Padel Mates will continue to innovate and elevate the sport’s digital landscape.”
Rocket is also keen to make use of Padel Mates’ ‘all-in-one app experience’ for tournaments, social games, coaching, box leagues, loyalty programmes and memberships, with what it described as ‘built-in community features’ to keep players engaged plus gamification features to drive higher participation.
At present, Padel Mates hosts Rocket Padel, the new Instantpadel at Canada Water, four Playtime Padel clubs, Advantage Padel in Hampshire, We Play Padel in North Yorkshire, Farm Padel in Hertfordshire, the Padel Pod in Crouch End, London, Battersea Park Millennium Arena, and Battersea Sports Centre. Its community feature also hosts a large number of groups created by users. 🎾
