PBA’s Xtra Frame Gets
Major Upgrade through
Partnership with NeuLion


The Professional Bowlers Association has entered into a partnership agreement with NeuLion, Inc., which will dramatically improve video quality, ease of viewing and provide numerous other improvements to the PBA’s Xtra Frame online video streaming service when it debuts in September.

As part of its ongoing goal to make Xtra Frame the world leader in online bowling content, the PBA has entered into a partnership with the world leader in providing live and on-demand sports and variety programming delivered via broadband to the international Internet community.

NeuLion, which provides its digital services to the National Football League, National Hockey League and a number of NCAA teams among others, will become the platform for PBA’s Xtra Frame. Bowling fans will continue to “connect” to Xtra Frame through pba.com, the PBA’s official website, but will find the new Xtra Frame home page will have a dramatically different look and will offer a new series of online experiences including enhanced video quality, pause and rewind of live streams, highlights, chat, exclusive on-demand content and more.

“Partnering with an established industry leader such as NeuLion is another step in the rapid, continual growth in quality, scope and viewership of Xtra Frame,” said PBA COO and Deputy Commissioner Tom Clark. “Our fans are going to love the added features and benefits and will feel closer to PBA action than ever before. We selected NeuLion because it gives us a single-solution provider and its experience in the sports marketplace is important to us.”


PBA’s effort to enhance its digital business stemmed from the need to unlock the social potential of the sport for the casual and avid fan in the wake of Xtra Frame’s steadily growing popularity. NeuLion’s cutting-edge technology dovetails perfectly with the PBA’s expansion into the social networking world, and the PBA’s official website will provide the launch pad for interaction with the bowling community around the world.


As an example, because bowling is a leading recreational sport in Japan, Xtra Frame will be available for fans in Japan and NeuLion will implement its multi-language support services to offer landing pages, sign up promotions and order flow in Japanese.

The NeuLion platform also will provide the PBA with new opportunities to provide subscribers with a wider variety of subscription options, and the ability to view content without the need to install special software.

“The NeuLion Platform will offer the PBA additional features in the future for e-commerce, auction and mobile video. As we partner with PBA and build its digital business, bowling fans will find more and more products and services available,” said Chris Wagner, Executive Vice President of NeuLion.

The new PBA video service will launch in September, and will be fully operational for daily coverage of the PBA World Series of Bowling, Oct. 24-Nov. 6, at South Point Hotel, Casino and Bowling Center in Las Vegas, Nev., the kickoff event of the 2010-11 Lumber Liquidators PBA Tour season.