Whether it is graphics showing changes in oil patterns on the lanes or more emotion being shown on strikes, the sport of bowling has caught up with the times when it comes to putting a captivating show on television.
Fox Sports and the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) have made the most of their partnership, which is in its fourth year.
Going into this weekend’s US Open, which is the fifth and final major of the season, ratings on Fox and FS1 continue to hold steady at a time when other sports have experienced huge drops.
The US Open, which is in Reno, Nevada, is to have its finals today air on FS1.
“We are bringing an upgraded viewing experience for every viewer at home,” PBA chief executive officer Colie Edison said. “They’re able to understand this is not when you or I go to a birthday party and throw the ball right down the middle of the lane.”
“They are able to be really engaged into the intricacies of the sport and view this not just as recreation,” Edison said.
The PBA produces the events, but a lot of the technological evolutions have been in partnership with Fox.
There is a StrikeTrack, which shows the ball speed, location and revolutions per minute and other features.
There are also graphics that track the change in oil patterns on the lane, while the scorebox updates with the maximum score each bowler could get, which makes it easier to understand the flow of matches.
“Viewers can more easily understand the oil patterns, they can understand the strategy of the players as they spin the ball,” said Bill Wanger, who heads up Fox’s scheduling and programming. “Another thing that is quite appealing to people is if a bowler doesn’t get a strike, and he’s trying to pick up a spare, we have statistics on the screen that show the odds of picking it up.”
The bowlers themselves are also getting to show their own personality with pre-match introduction videos, so that viewers get to know them better.
Fox’s Rob Stone, who is a staple of their college football, basketball and soccer coverage, is also the network’s bowling announcer.
Stone said that the sport has ended up being a refreshing outlet for him to do something different.
“It’s a sport that I was thrust into that was not on my radar, but it’s now a part of my life that I couldn’t imagine not having on my resume,” he said.
“It’s very much a happy place. For me when I get there and I see the faces and the athletes, it’s got kind of as homey feel for me that it’s just completely unexpected,” he said.
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