PBA CEO Pete Murray shared major plans for the league’s 2027 schedule. Murray outlined how the Professional Bowlers League (PBA) will continue its strong momentum, as well as future sports betting ambitions.
Murray is no stranger to being at the helm of a major sports property, having previously served as the CEO for the PFL. According to Murray, in his first year at the helm of the PBA, the league averaged 500,000 live viewers per event. Now, he aims to build on the success of this year as the PBA expands its coverage and competition.
“We actually outperformed the NHL, MLS, NWSL, pickleball, paddleball, and a lot of emerging properties who also, you know, there’s a role, but they get a lot of oxygen, right? A lot of conversation around them. And so what we’re excited about is the growth behind the PBA, and the growth is coming from a much younger audience,” Murray exclusively told Heavy Sports.
2027 will see the PBA expand its schedule to 30 live events across The CW Network, ESPN App, CBS, Paramount+, and CBS Sports Network.
PBA CEO Pete Murray Unveils Exciting Competition Format for 2027
Given the PBA’s success in 2026, CEO Pete Murray unveiled the exciting competition format for 2027. Murray revealed that the format will increase competitiveness while also offering a larger prize pool.
“What we’re trying to do is create more opportunity for [the players] and put them on a visible stage, more tournaments, increased prize funds, and an even more challenging format,” Murray exclusively told Heavy Sports.
“The playoff format that we’re launching on CBS, which is the road to the PBA World Championship, close to 15 live events, but it’s a first-of-its-kind playoff bracket. There have been playoffs before in the PBA and in bowling, but with this format, over 30 players, multiple rounds, all bracketed. And it creates a gamified experience for fans. But it also sets up the PBA World Championship as the Super Bowl of all majors. And so we’re excited for that new format to launch next year,” Murray said.
Murray also spoke about the league’s investment in women’s sports. As a result, women will also compete against the men before the launch of their own league, PBAW in 2028.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t support women. And so, next year, we will probably launch PBAW, and those women will be competing in the same events as men, and in an ongoing series or an ongoing tournament, where it’s win and advance and lose and go home, no different than the fight game, where you have men and women on the card,” Murray said.
Murray Reveals Sports Betting Ambitions
Murray also revealed that the PBA has ambitions to implement sports betting into its product.
Now that sports betting has become more regulated, the PBA plans to capitalize on the market.
“We will be launching, in 2027, the first-ever PBA betting product platform, and that’ll be global,” Murray exclusively told Heavy Sports.
“The playoffs build to the championship, but there’s skin in the game. There’s trophies on the line, there’s big prize purses every single event. But then you add in qualifier tournaments or the qualifier games leading up to each final, the Regional Tour product and competition, you have real tonnage,” Murray said.
Ultimately, Murray is confident that the global appeal of bowling and the PBA’s popularity can attract a broader global audience.
PBA CEO Pete Murray Shares Major 2027 Plans & Sports Betting Ambitions: Exclusive