The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) is now under new ownership.

As announced in a special report from the Bowling Center Management’s BJI Cyber Report, Bowlero Corp. has acquired the PBA for an undisclosed amount. The acquisition is another big development for the league, which also began its media deals with FloBowling and FOX in 2018.

Bowlero jumped at the chance to acquire the PBA, according to comments by Colie Edison, Bowlero’s chief customer officer and now the PBA’s new CEO.

“Bowlero has always been a supporter of the PBA,” Edison said in the report. “We have always been about advancing the sport of bowling, whether that’s been for entertainment in our centers for our customers or for further enhancing the experience of the professional players. So for us, when the opportunity came to pursue the acquisition, it was without a question something that we wanted to do.” 

She continued by noting Bowlero’s interest in the success of the media opportunities for Bowlero and the PBA. Edison believes the PBA is “ripe for growth,” and the vast pools of resources that Bowlero provides could be the perfect catalyst for sustainable growth in the PBA. The report cites Bowlero’s $600 million in annual revenue and more than 900 employees. This will be the PBA's third change in ownership since 1958.

Bowlero operates hundreds of bowling centers across the United States, Mexico, and Canada, and the company has a history of acquisitions as it has evolved into its current diversified form. Some of those acquisitions include AMF Bowling Worldwide (in 2013), Brunswick Corporation (2014), and now the PBA. In addition to those acquisitions, the company rebranded itself from “Bowlmor AMF” to Bowlero Corporation in January of 2018.

Edison also noted there are no planned changes to the PBA’s 2020 schedule.

You can listen to this interview with Edison for more details about the acquisition. 

The PBA was previously owned by a group of former Microsoft executives Mike Slade, Chris Peters, and Rob Glaser. The Association was founded by Eddie Elias in 1958.