Ex-PFL executive Peter Murray joins PBA, Lucky Strike Entertainment
Published 6 days ago • 3 min read
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Peter Murray becomes CEO of PBA, head of media for Lucky Strike Entertainment
Peter Murray (R) presenting Kayla Harrison with a million-dollar check for a Oct. 2021 Professional Fighters League title. (Cooper Neill/PFL.)
Some notable news in the sports executive world broke Wednesday, with the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) announcing that they've hired long-time Professional Fighters League executive Peter Murray as CEO. Murray will also serve as head of media for PBA parent corporation Lucky Strike Entertainment, which, beyond the PBA, operates bowling centers, family entertainment centers, and waterparks across North America. Here's more on his hire from a release:
Murray’s appointment marks a defining moment in the evolution of the PBA and Lucky Strike Entertainment, as both organizations double down on the future of sports, storytelling, and location-based entertainment. In his dual role, Murray will oversee the global growth of the Professional Bowlers Association while shaping a next-generation content and cross-platform media strategy that transforms Lucky Strike and its venues into dynamic hubs for live sports, culture, and fan engagement. ...“We are entering a new chapter for both the PBA and Lucky Strike Entertainment,” said Thomas Shannon, Founder and CEO of Lucky Strike Entertainment. “Pete Murray brings visionary leadership and a deep understanding of how media, live experiences, and community intersect. His appointment reflects our belief that the future of bowling lives not only on the lanes, but across screens, platforms, and unforgettable in-venue experiences at Lucky Strike locations around the world.”
...“I am honored to lead the Professional Bowlers Association at such a transformative moment — not just for bowling, but for how sports live within culture,” said Peter Murray, CEO of the PBA and Head of Media for Lucky Strike Entertainment. “Together with Lucky Strike and our partners we have an opportunity to grow the sport, elevate PBA and expand its footprint around the world. This is about reimagining how fans experience and engage in sport across all platforms while developing new IP, innovative formats and ushering in the next generation of players and future champions.”
Following time with Under Armour (VP, global brand and sports marketing from 2014-17), RSE Ventures (president, Insignia Sports and Entertainment, 2012-14), William Morris Endeavor (vice president, 2009-12), and the NFL (13 years in different roles from 1996-2009, most notably as senior vice president, content and business development), Murray was named as the first CEO of the PFL ahead of its inaugural season in 2018. He played a key role in getting that mixed martial arts league to hit the level of prominence it has reached, perhaps especially on the media side. I spoke to him twice on that over the years, talking with him in November 2020 about the impact of their April 2020 decision to postpone all live events that year due to the COVID-19 pandemic and shift their focus to studio content and technology ahead of a 2021 return to live fights, and then speaking to him in December 2021 about how that year's return to live fights had gone and how they were set for a massive live fights expansion in 2022. And in those interviews, Murray showed an impressive grasp of the current media landscape and its opportunities and challenges, all of which should set him up for success with the PBA and Lucky Strike.
The PBA is at an interesting time on the media side, perhaps especially with the recent deals they've struck with The CW (10 weeks of live action on Sundays beginning Feb. 22) and CBS Sports (live broadcasts on CBS and Paramount+ beginning April 4, totaling 35-plus hours of PBA coverage there across CBS Sports properties this year). And it's notable to see Murray's role here also include this head of media title for Lucky Strike, and to see mentions of how he'll be expected to find ways to build PBA content that works in Lucky Strike's various venues. That's not the setup you see with every league, but there are some notable synergies there that may pay off for the PBA.
For the PFL, Murray's exit (which they announced two weeks ago) seems to be part of a larger series of changes. Murray had been most recently CEO of PFL International Leagues following the hire of John Martin Jr. as CEO, PFL last summer. PFL founder Donn Davis also stepped down from the chairman role this past week. That promotion still has a lot going for it, but it will be worth keeping an eye on where it goes with new leadership and what changes for it. And meanwhile, we now get to see what Murray will bring to the PBA.
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