The PBA’s plans for 2027 now stretch beyond more tournaments and television time.
PBA CEO Peter Murray says a global PBA betting platform is on the way, and a new women’s competition called PBAW could also be coming.
A PBA Betting Platform Is Planned for 2027
“We will be launching, in 2027, the first-ever PBA betting product platform, and that’ll be global,” Murray told Heavy Sports.
Murray pointed to the playoffs, qualifying rounds and the Regional Tour as a substantial supply of bowling action around which to build the product.
The commercial interest has been there for a while. JohnWallStreet reported in May that the PBA was exploring sports betting data licensing as another source of revenue.
What fans would actually be able to use remains unclear. Murray did not identify an operating partner, explain the types of bets available or list the states and countries where the platform would operate. Instead, PBA CEO described a global ambition, but how that would translate into availability in individual markets remains to be seen.
PBAW: A New Opportunity for Women’s Bowling?
Alongside betting, Murray mentioned another ambitious project he has in mind: PBAW.
Since the Professional Women’s Bowling Association (PWBA) Tour relaunched in 2015, it has brought many of the world’s best women bowlers together to compete for professional titles. Now, another opportunity could be taking shape.
“There’s no reason we shouldn’t support women.” Murray went on to say that “next year, we will probably launch PBAW, and those women will be competing in the same events as men”.
He described a competition in which players advance by winning and are eliminated by losing, drawing a comparison with combat sports events featuring men and women on the same card.
That suggests a shared event setting, but does not establish whether women would face men directly or compete separately within those events.
Murray did not explain how PBAW would fit alongside the PWBA, whether through cooperation or as a separate offering. For players, that relationship matters as much as the new name.
A Bigger Season Is Already Taking Shape
These plans come as the PBA prepares for an expanded television schedule. Our 2027 schedule article covers the PBA’s announcement of 30 live events, with coverage across The CW, the ESPN App, CBS, Paramount+ and CBS Sports Network.
The schedule includes 12 consecutive Sundays on The CW and a 33-player playoff bracket in June leading into the PBA World Championship. Murray described the championship to Heavy as “the Super Bowl of all majors.”
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