Five consecutive nights of national television coverage on FS1 set for March 2019

ALLEN PARK, Mich. (Nov. 30, 2018)– The 10th anniversary Professional Bowlers Association World Series of Bowling will return to its original home at Thunderbowl Lanes in suburban Detroit in March where it will write a new chapter in bowling history with five consecutive nights of prime-time national television coverage on FS1.

PBA’s World Series of Bowling, created in 2009 as a multi-event series of tournaments, has grown into the most important international event in bowling, annually attracting the most talented bowlers from around the world. And the 2019 WSOB X will continue the trend, concluding with an historic television package including four consecutive nights of live championship tournament finals telecasts – Monday through Thursday, March 18, 19, 20 and 21 – plus a USA vs. The World team match featuring the World Series’ top performers on Friday, March 22.

The five consecutive nights of prime-time coverage is a first in bowling history, and an important segment in the PBA’s 60th consecutive year of national television coverage. All five two-hour shows, part of the 2019 Go Bowling! PBA Tour season, will air on FS1 at 8 p.m. EST from the famous arena bay inside historic Thunderbowl Lanes in Allen Park, Mich.

WSOB X, which gets underway on March 10, will include four championship tournaments: the PBA Cheetah 33, Chameleon 39 and Scorpion 42 Championships plus the 2019 PBA World Championship which will include an elite field of players based upon their overall performances in the three preliminary “animal pattern” events that will be contested on distinctly different lane oiling patterns. The PBA World Championship will be contested on the Earl Anthony 43 oiling pattern. Each event’s numerical designation indicates the distance oil is applied down the lane.

A total of 115 PBA members will be invited to compete in the World Series, based upon their composite WSOB earnings between 2015-17, plus any PBA Tour title winner who has not qualified on the composite earnings list. A pre-tournament qualifier will be held on March 10 at Thunderbowl to allow other PBA members to compete for all remaining berths in the 135-player field.

Fans can pre-order tickets for the World Series by visiting PBA.com (https://www.eventbrite.com/e/pba-world-series-of-bowling-x-tickets-49606041004).

2019 PBA WORLD SERIES OF BOWLING X SCHEDULE

Thunderbowl Lanes, Allen Park, Mich., March 10-21 (all times are Eastern)

Sunday, March 10

10 a.m. – Unofficial practice session

1 p.m. – Pre-Tournament Qualifier (if necessary; six games)

7 p.m. – WSOB X Pro-Am

Monday, March 11

10 a.m. – Cheetah 33 and Chameleon 39 practice session

2:30 p.m. – Scorpion 42 and Earl Anthony 43 practice session

Tuesday, March 12

(Contested on 33-foot Cheetah lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – Cheetah Championship Qualifying Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. – Cheetah Championship Qualifying Round 2, 5 games

Top 16 qualifiers after 10 games advance to single-elimination match play, March 18; 10-game qualifying totals carry over to PBA World Championship

Wednesday, March 13

(Contested on 39-foot Chameleon lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Qualifying Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Qualifying Round 2, 5 games

Top 16 qualifiers after 10 games advance to single-elimination match play, March 19; 10-game qualifying totals carry over to PBA World Championship

Thursday, March 14

(Contested on 42-foot Scorpion lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Qualifying Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Qualifying Round 2, 5 games

Top 16 qualifiers after 10 games advance to single-elimination match play, March 20; 10-game qualifying totals carry over to PBA World Championship; top 40 qualifiers based on composite 30-game totals from Cheetah, Chameleon and Scorpion Championships advance to PBA World Championship cashers round; top five American and top five international players advance to USA vs. The World team competition.

Friday, March 15

(Contested on 43-foot Earl Anthony lane oiling pattern)

12:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Cashers Round 1, 5 games

6:30 p.m. – PBA World Championship Cashers Round 2, 5 games

Top 16 qualifiers after 40 games advance to round robin match play

Saturday, March 16

(Contested on 43-foot Earl Anthony lane oiling pattern)

9 a.m. – PBA World Championship Round Robin Match Play, 8 games

3 p.m. – PBA World Championship Round Robin Match Play, 8 games

Top 5 qualifiers after 56 games advance to FS1 stepladder finals, Thursday, March 21, 8 p.m.

Sunday, March 17

4 p.m. – WSOB X Pro-Am

Monday, March 18

(Contested on 33-foot Cheetah lane oiling pattern)

Noon – Cheetah Championship Round of 16 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

3 p.m. – Cheetah Championship Round of 8 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

8 p.m. – Cheetah Championship Finals (live on FS1)

Match 1 – Four finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

Semifinal Match – Three finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

Championship – Two survivors, best of three games (game three is 9th and 10th frame if needed)

Tuesday, March 19

(Contested on 39-foot Chameleon lane oiling pattern)

Noon – Chameleon Championship Round of 16 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

3 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Round of 8 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

8 p.m. – Chameleon Championship Finals (live on FS1)

Match 1 – Four finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

Semifinal Match – Three finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

Championship – Two survivors, best of three games (game three is 9th and 10th frame if needed)

Wednesday, March 20

(Contested on 42-foot Scorpion lane oiling pattern)

Noon – Scorpion Championship Round of 16 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

3 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Round of 8 (best of five games, single-elimination match play)

8 p.m. – Scorpion Championship Finals (live on FS1)

Match 1 – Four finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

Semifinal Match – Three finalists, one game, lowest score eliminated

Championship – Two survivors, best of three games (game three is 9th and 10th frame if needed)

Thursday, March 21

(Contested on 43-foot Earl Anthony lane oiling pattern)

5 p.m. – USA vs. The World team match (top five U.S. qualifiers for PBA World Championship vs. top five international qualifiers, best of three Baker scoring team matches (taped to air on FS1 on Friday, March 22, at 8 p.m.)

8 p.m. – PBA World Championship Stepladder Finals (live on FS1)

Friday, March 22

8 p.m. – USA vs. The World telecast (FS1)