Professional bowling is changing lanes: The Professional Bowlers Association will move its matches and games to the 21st Century Fox-owned outlet, ending a decades-long alliance it has enjoyed with ESPN, and a shorter-term relationship it has with CBS Sports Network. In doing so, the PBA will establish a new presence for the sport on broadcast television.
“We were just looking for the best possible solution to reaching more fans and giving our brand the best opportunity to grow,” said Tom Clark, CEO and Commissioner of the Professional Bowlers Association, in an interview. Under terms of the deal, expected to last more than three years, Fox will sell advertising and sponsorships for the sport, Clark said.
Clark declined to discuss the specific financial terms of the deal, which were not released.
Longtime fans of the sport may recall watching bowling on Saturday afternoons on broadcasts that ran for many years on ABC, starting in 1962. The sport wandered for a little while in the late 1990s, Clark recalled, surviving on TV through buying slots from the networks. But new ownership added a boost of energy and PBA returned to more regular status on TV in 2000. ESPN has featured bowling on Sunday afternoons for 18 years, he said, while CBS Corp.’s CBS Sports Network has aired a few bowling matches as well.
The PBA has entertained new talks for its rights in recent months, said Clark, knowing that its current deals were slated to expire. “ESPN was definitely interested in continuing the relationship,a and they made their bid and had their opportunity, but it came down to really being an overwhelming easy decision because of the having more shows on broadcast television in the Fox deal,” said Clark. “There will be 29 original programs and 58 hours across the Fox platforms, opposed to what this year was about 17 shows and 30 hours on ESPN.” ESPN could not be reached for immediate comment.
Business dynamics may play a role in Fox’s strike on bowling. As part of a $52.4 billion deal to sell a good chunk of its operations to Walt Disney, Fox will placing more emphasis on the assets it plans to keep. Fox Sports and Fox Broadcasting will stand as two of its biggest divisions. The company has said it intends to place more emphasis on sports broadcasts and other types of programming that command big, live audiences.
source:-variety.c
