PBA Headed to Fox

bowlingball.com 4/18/18

Major news has hit the bowling community recently, as Tom Clark, the PBA Commissioner, announced a multi-year deal with Fox to televise PBA events across the Fox Sports platforms. Meaning Fox, Fox Sports 1, Fox Sports 2, etc, are going to hold PBA events. This is a very big move by the PBA, and needless to say I believe it is one that is going to be a grand slam.

Tom Clark and the PBA also announced that the telecasts will be switched to Fox Sports at the top of the 2019 calendar year, and announced a 29 telecast deal. That my friends is HUGE! Huge because 29 weekends of the year, there is going to be bowling on your television. I haven’t been able to say that maybe since 2012, 2013 maybe.

It’s no secret that the sport of bowling had been taking a tumble backwards in sponsorships, less telecasts, funding and the whole nine yards in recent years.Even the U.S. Open didn’t get sponsored one year and the event didn’t even get held. But 2018 is already one quarter in the books and you’re closing out the quarter with a great deal.

Now, ESPN has been great for hosting telecasts for the PBA for a long time, but times are changing, and bowling certainly needs a change. I would always look forward to Sunday mornings watching Rob and Randy cover the shows. Such great broadcasters who called bowling incredibly and made the shows exciting. Once Rob left, shows kind of went downhill until the past couple years, in my opinion. Dave LaMont is a great broadcaster but I believe with the PBA moving to Fox, I think we're going to see a Rob and Randy reunion.

Bowling is a sport that is back on an up swing and we want to continue it that way. I thank Tom Clark for making a great deal and in my opinion, it was the best thing that could’ve happened to bowling right now. Now, if only the USBC can do what Tom Clark does, we’d be having a grand time.

I, for one, am somebody who is always looking forward to seeing change, as long as it is good and is beneficial to everybody. More bowling on television is beneficial to every bowler. bowlingball.com. It’s where bowlers go.