PBA AND FOX SPORTS ANNOUNCE TWO-YEAR MEDIA RIGHTS EXTENSION

The Professional Bowlers Association and FOX Sports continue with long-term media rights deal 

RICHMOND, Va., Aug. 17, 2023 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) and FOX Sports announce a two-year media rights extension for linear television on FOX and FS1, as well as on FOX digital channels. The contract will usher the PBA into the most broadcast windows they have ever televised in a single season on FOX. The package will consist of 30 televised programs, with eight two-hour FOX windows and 22 two-hour FS1 windows.

"We are excited to see how much our relationship with FOX Sports has evolved in the last few years," says Lev Ekster, Chief Strategy Officer at Bowlero Corp. and PBA. "We are pleased to continue fostering our relationship to bring the sport of bowling to new audiences and homes across the country."        

In their first five years together, the PBA and FOX have presented many of bowling's most iconic moments.

Jason Belmonte won the first major championship final on FOX to tie the PBA record with his 10th career major title. One month later, he broke the record with title No. 11 at the PBA World Championship.

Tommy Jones fired the first televised perfect game of the FOX Sports era in 2020. On his own Hall of Fame induction weekend, Jones shot 300 to win the PBA Hall of Fame Classic title.

The FOX Sports-PBA relationship has amplified the electric atmosphere of the PBA League in Portland, Maine. This environment is perhaps best highlighted by the thrilling conclusion of the 2022 PBA League when Norm Duke threw the final shot of his illustrious career.

In 2024, FOX Sports will televise five major PBA Tour championships. Details pertaining to the overall package – PBA Tour locations, dates, and times– will be released at a later date.

"The PBA has been an invaluable partner to our networks and viewership was up nearly 15% for the 2023 season," says Bill Wanger, EVP, Head of Programming and Scheduling at FOX Sports. "We hope to continue on this path of growth for years to come." 

The agreement between FOX Sports and the PBA extends a non-stop television presence for professional bowling that began in 1962 with ABC Television's 36 years of coverage of the Pro Bowlers Tour. Since then, the partnership between FOX Sports and the PBA has grown exponentially - with both parties deeming their first year together in 2018-19 a success.  Today, the PBA and FOX Sports are working to increase media exposure for the tour and its top players with a major focus on on-air features and technology to deepen the understanding and advancement of the sport.

For more information, visit www.pba.com or follow on social @PBATour

About PBA
The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is the world's preeminent organization dedicated to the sport of bowling and its professional competition, with thousands of members and millions of fans throughout the world. The PBA plays host to bowling's biggest tournaments, including the PBA Tour, PBA Regional Tour and PBA50 Tour. The PBA has launched a certification program titled, The PBA League Bowler Certification program. This program provides league bowlers access to statistics, digital awards, rules and regulations, and new tournaments, including The PBA LBC National Championships. Other PBA membership programs include PBA Pinsiders, a membership program for the sport's most enthusiastic fans and PBA Jr., a club for elite youth bowlers under the age of 17 that has grown exponentially in the past two years. For more information, please visit PBA.com.

About FOX Sports
FOX Sports is the umbrella entity representing FOX Corporation's wide array of multi-platform US-based sports assets.  Built with brands capable of reaching more than 100 million viewers in a single weekend, the business has ownership and interests in linear television networks, digital and mobile programming, broadband platforms, multiple web sites, joint-venture businesses and several licensing relationships.  FOX Sports includes the sports television arm of the FOX Network; FS1, FS2, FOX Soccer Plus and FOX Deportes. FOX Sports' digital properties include FOXSports.com and the FOX Sports App, which provides live streaming video of FOX Sports content, instant scores, stats and alerts to iOS and Android devices. Additionally, FOX Sports and social broadcasting platform, Caffeine jointly own Caffeine Studios which creates exclusive eSports, sports and live entertainment content. Also included in FOX Sports' portfolio are FOX's interests in joint-venture business Big Ten Network, and a licensing agreement that established the FOX Sports Radio Network.

For PBA
PBA, PR@pba.com 

For FOX Sports:
Jenn Inglesino
Jennifer.Inglesino@fox.com 

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SOURCE PBA