Pro Padel League Appoints Brian Flinn as Chief Operating Officer

Following 25+ Years at the NBA and WWE, Veteran Sports and Entertainment Executive Joins Leadership Team Following $10M Seed Round

The Pro Padel League (PPL), the world’s top professional padel league with 10 teams in the United States, Canada, and Mexico, today announced the appointment of Brian Flinn as Chief Operating Officer. Flinn will work with Chief Executive Officer Mike Dorfman to help to drive the league’s next phase of growth.

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Flinn brings nearly three decades of C-suite experience leading brand, marketing, content, digital, data, and business transformation across sports, entertainment, and media companies including World Wrestling Entertainment, the National Basketball Association, and the New York Knicks.

“Brian’s track record of driving transformative growth for sports and entertainment brands is unmatched,” said Dorfman. “As we continue to build the PPL into a dominant force across the global sports landscape, his vision, leadership, and operational expertise will be game-changing.”

“Padel is at an exciting inflection point and poised for explosive growth,” said Flinn. “Joining the PPL is a unique opportunity to combine my personal passion for the sport with my professional experience and help shape padel’s future commercially and culturally. I look forward to working with Mike, our team owners, the players, and our partners to build a dynamic league that provides a world-class experience for our fans and sets the bar for a lifestyle sports brand.”

Flinn most recently served as Partner & Chief Operating Officer at Isos Capital Management, a boutique investment firm hyper-focused on high-growth sports, entertainment, content, and technology properties, where he chaired the investment committee while leading business operations and growth strategies.

At WWE for nearly a decade, Flinn served as the Chief Marketing & Communications Officer, where he was instrumental in helping to transform the company and drive an 8x increase in enterprise value by repositioning the brand, disrupting legacy businesses, and executing growth initiatives. He was a key figure in driving a 4x increase in media revenues during his tenure; the launch of the award-winning direct-to-consumer streaming video service, WWE Network; resetting the company’s $1 billion brand at retail; and generating increases in rights fee for international signature events. He also launched the company’s corporate social responsibility division and championed milestone initiatives like the first-ever women’s WrestleMania main event and the first women’s match in Saudi Arabia.

During his 12-year tenure at the NBA that culminated in his role as Senior Vice President and Head of Global Marketing, Flinn spearheaded some of its most recognizable marketing campaigns such as “Where Amazing Happens” and “There Can Only Be One.” Early in his NBA tenure, Flinn was central to the launch of the National Basketball Development League, now known as the G-League, the NBA’s minor league system. Flinn’s transformative impact was recognized globally with a Bronze Lion at Cannes International Advertising Festival and the David Ogilvy Award for Innovative Research & Strategy.

Flinn started his career with the New York Knicks and was part of the team that launched the WNBA’s New York Liberty. Mr. Flinn graduated magna cum laude from the Roy H. Park School of Communications at Ithaca College.

This leadership announcement follows the PPL’s recent $10 million seed funding round led by Left Lane Capital. Flinn’s appointment reflects the PPL’s commitment to building a top-tier front office and further embedding padel into the world’s sports and lifestyle landscape.

For more information on the Pro Padel League, visit www.propadelleague.com.

ABOUT PRO PADEL LEAGUE

Founded in 2023, the Pro Padel League (PPL) is the world’s top professional padel league with 10 teams in the United States, Canada, and Mexico comprised of the most talented male and female players in the world. The 2025 season will feature five international events, including three regular season competitions, an All-Star festival, and the PPL City’s Cup.

PPL events reach 300 million households across more than 100 countries via world-class distribution partners. All PPL events and matches can also be viewed globally on the PPL’s YouTube channel.

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