[3] The PBA saw the deal as an effort to increase media exposure for the tour and its top players.
[3] One such feature is StrikeTrack, a graphic (based on technology from the company Kegel) that displays the trajectory, speed, and rotation (RPM) of the ball as it travels down the lane.
Broadcasting & Cable considered this feature akin to the infamous "FoxTrax" used during Fox's National Hockey League coverage in the 1990s.
[6] The PBA reported ratings growth in the first year of its contract; the Tournament of Champions finals broadcast on Fox was its highest-rated first-run telecast of the season, at 1,132,000 viewers.
Including first-run and rerun broadcasts, the association reported that total viewership of all PBA telecasts on Fox networks through the PBA Tour Playoffs had seen an 85% increase in viewership over 2018, with the ten playoffs broadcasts being seen by at least 7.941 million.
[7] On August 28, 2018, the PBA announced that all events televised on Fox and FS1, except for the USBC Masters, will only be open to members of the association.
[11] The season's fourth major, the USBC Masters, took place March 26–April 1 in Las Vegas.
The single-elimination tournament was set up in a split format, with the elimination rounds held April 8–10 and the final four competing in two live broadcasts on June 1 and 2.
As in the previous two seasons, CBS Sports Network carried the PBA Tour Finals, which took place July 20 and 21 in Las Vegas.
The main difference for 2019 is that the eight players were determined based on Tour points ranking since the beginning of the 2018 season.