Headquartered in Mechanicsville, Virginia,[1] and currently owned by Bowlero Corporation since 2019,[2] the PBA's membership consists of over 3,000 members worldwide.

This program provides league bowlers access to statistics, digital awards, rules and regulations, and new tournaments, including The PBA LBC National Championships.

At the same time, there was a desire to start a professional bowling division in the United States; an effort led by Eddie Elias, a sports agent based in Akron, Ohio.

During the 1958 ABC (American Bowling Congress) tournament in Syracuse, New York, sixty men, including Don Carter, Patrick Gentempo (VP A.M.F.

), Frank Esposito, Buzz Fazio, Matt Lebhar, Carmen Salvino, Billy Welu, Glenn Allison, Steve Nagy, Harry Smith, Ray Bluth, Dick Hoover, Bill Bunetta, Robert "Bobby" Bellew, Vito Quercia, and Junie McMahon, attended a presentation by Elias.

After listening to his proposal, thirty-three of the men donated $50 each, totaling $1,650 to start the organization, which was incorporated in 1958, and headquartered in Akron.

In 1961, ABC's Wide World of Sports aired the PBA National Invitational, from Paramus, New Jersey.

In addition, in the early 1990s the Miller Brewing Company offered $1 million to any bowler who could win all three of its sponsored tournaments in a given season.

[15] CBS and Fox Sports Net would carry PBA events until ESPN gained exclusive broadcast rights in 2001.

The PBA was purchased in March 2000 by former Microsoft executives Chris Peters (chairman), Rob Glaser, and Mike Slade, and its corporate headquarters were moved to Seattle, Washington.

Together with CEO Steve Miller, a former Nike executive, they are recognized for rescuing the PBA from the brink of extinction.

In 2003, the PWBA (Professional Women's Bowling Association) folded, and the PBA began allowing female members in 2004.

[17] This also made her the first woman to win any Professional Bowlers Association Tour event that was also open to men.

[18] For the 2011–12 season, a total of 14 TV broadcasts were taped at the 2011 World Series of Bowling in Las Vegas to be aired on later dates.

All other ESPN broadcasts for Winter 2012 were taped events from the World Series, while four additional non-major title tournaments were available live via the PBA's "Xtra Frame" webcast service.

[23] CBS Sports Network continues to broadcast the PBA Tour Finals, as it has since the event's inception in 2017.

It has been held at Bayside Bowl in Portland, Maine since 2015, except for the 2020 season when it was contested with no audience in Centreville, Virginia due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Following that event, team managers have been allowed to protect up to three players from their current roster each season, with the remaining spots being filled via the draft.

[25] The PBA Hall of Fame was founded in 1975 with eight initial inductees: six for Performance (Ray Bluth, Don Carter, Carmen Salvino, Harry Smith, Dick Weber and Billy Welu) and two for Meritorious Service (Frank Esposito and Chuck Pezzano).

From 2000 to 2008, those in the Performance category had to have ten PBA titles (or two major championships) on their resume, as well as be retired from the tour for five years.