Exclusive: Betts-backed World Bowling League to roll out next year
The WBL is looking to transform a pastime for millions around the world into a cutting edge, made-for-TV experience via a heady mix of celebrity franchise owners, exotic locations and technological innovation.
"It's an incredible sport which just hasn't been structured correctly for the past 50-60 years and everyone just dismisses it as a recreational activity," Mishra, the founder and CEO of sports tech firm League Sports Co, said in a video call from the United States.
"We are going to launch with six franchises in the first quarter of next year. It's going to be a team of four - two male and two female bowlers."
Mishra did not go into detail about the format but said professional bowlers would compete in the core sport while celebrities would take part in auxiliary events, with teams collecting points throughout the season.
With its origins in ancient Egypt, bowling's heyday in the United States was in the 1960s and 70s when every town and suburb had its own alley.
Even today, some 200 million people put on flat-soled shoes and take to the lanes every year, including 75 million in the U.S., Mishra said.
The WBL is by no means the first attempt to create a professional circuit in the Tenpin game, and American Don 'Mr Bowling' Carter was the first athlete in any sport to ink a $1 million sponsorship deal back in 1964.
What separates the WBL from previous attempts, Mishra says, is its global reach - the league is in the advanced stage of finalising franchises in Japan, South Korea, Singapore and India - and the ambitious vision.
"Our first fundamental premise was - how can we take this and make this an aspirational product?" Mishra added.
"We want to take two lanes and put them in iconic locations around the world - Hudson Yards in New York, Marina Bay Sands in Singapore, a variety of different locations in Dubai and India."
Los Angeles Dodgers shortstop Betts bought the first announced franchise in May and the WBL pulled off another marketing coup when Kohli came on board as a strategic investor last month.
Mishra did not provide financial details of Bett's purchase but said negotiations on the sale of the remaining franchises were in the final stages.
The league plans to simplify scoring, gather a host of celebrity and corporate backers, and use ball-tracking and other technology to create a product that works on television and digital platforms.
Weaving complimentary programming featuring celebrity bowlers like Betts and Kohli around the core sport would make it an irresistible proposition for broadcasters, said Mishra.
"We already have many broadcasters lined up and a lot of them think this sport, the way we've designed it, can fit into their ultra-premium segment.
"A lot of them believe they can bring in other influencers and celebrities, who come in and bowl as well. So there's a lot of 'shoulder programming' that you can create with the sport, which is not possible with a lot of other sports."
Mishra and Kohli know each other through their joint ownership of a team in the E1 electric powerboat world championship, and the cricketer's fondness for bowling came as a pleasant surprise as the WBL was being in the planning stage.
"Over the years, I've met a lot of celebs who happen to be closet bowlers," Mishra said.
"We were speaking about various things about the team and it turned out that he has been bowling and watching it since he was 11-12.
"That was a big surprise for me and we wanted him to be part of this. Hopefully we'll get him to bowl when he has more time for it."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
BBC News
an hour ago
- BBC News
Red Bull arrival a 'brilliant signal' for Prem Rugby
The takeover of Newcastle by global energy drinks company Red Bull is a 'brilliant signal' for the future of the Gallagher Prem, according to its chief executive Simon Bull have become the owners of the Kingston Park club in what heralds a new era for English rugby for the league itself, the arrival of such a big company is a further sign of the green shoots of recovery, following on from increased television audiences and a long-term broadcast deal with TNT Sports."There are loads of encouraging signs," Massie-Taylor told BBC Radio 5 Live."There's still a lot of work to do and this whole mission is to make clubs as investable as possible because we've relied on the current generation of owners."They want to pass it on and leave it in good hands like (former Newcastle owner) Semore Kurdi has done with Red Bull. That sends a brilliant signal for the league." 'Red Bull can inspire whole generation' Newcastle have fallen behind the rest of the Premiership in the last few years, finishing bottom in each of the past three have been desperate for new investment, while there were genuine fears that they could go the same way as Worcester Warriors, Wasps and London Irish and go out of business the club can now draw upon the expertise of Red Bull and their vast sporting believes that Newcastle's new owners will use their experience in how to market teams and athletes to generate further interest in the English club game."If you think about our vision for the Gallagher Prem or more broadly what rugby needs, it needs to build up those personalities and those athletes and shout about the game," he said. "I think Red Bull will do a great job of that."It's a great thing for rugby, a great thing for the Gallagher Prem and it's a great thing for the north."Part of their plan will be to invest in talent and a pathway and there's a huge amount of talent up there."If you're a young person now with the aspiration of being a professional sportsperson, the idea of being a Red Bull athlete and playing for Newcastle Red Bulls will inspire a whole generation."
Reuters
an hour ago
- Reuters
Beijing E-Town sues US firm Applied Materials alleging trade secrets leak
BEIJING, Aug 13 (Reuters) - Beijing E-Town Semiconductor Technologies ( opens new tab, a semiconductor equipment firm backed by Beijing's government, on Wednesday said it has sued U.S. chip equipment supplier Applied Materials (AMAT.O), opens new tab over alleged trade secrets infringement. Applied Materials had illegally obtained and used Beijing E-Town's core technology secrets related to plasma sources and wafer surface treatment, the Beijing-based company said according to a filing on the Shanghai Stock Exchange. The company, which is seeking 99.99 million yuan ($13.94 million) in compensation, alleged that Applied Materials had disclosed technical secrets by applying for a patent in China and claiming the patent's application rights. Applied Materials did not immediately respond to a request for comment. In 2016, Beijing E-Town acquired Mattson Technology, a California-based semiconductor wafer processing equipment designer and manufacturer. Applied Materials sued Mattson in 2022, alleging that it had hired its former employees with the intention of stealing trade secrets. In 2023, Mattson countersued Applied Materials making similar accusations. In the new case filed with the Beijing Intellectual Property Court, Beijing E-Town alleged that Applied Materials had hired two former Mattson employees, who were later listed as the principal inventors behind a patent filed by Applied Materials in China. The patent, filed with China's intellectual property administration, disclosed confidential technical know-how jointly held by Beijing E-Town and Mattson, Beijing E-Town said. Applied Materials' actions, the Beijing firm said, violated China's fair competition law and constituted infringement of its trade secrets. The Beijing court has accepted the civil case but no court hearing has yet been held, Beijing E-Town said. ($1 = 7.1746 Chinese yuan renminbi)
Telegraph
2 hours ago
- Telegraph
Louis Rees-Zammit close to signing for Bristol Bears
Bristol Bears are closing in on the signing of Louis Rees-Zammit as the Wales wing nears a return to rugby union from American football. Telegraph Sport understands that Bristol have been in the hunt for Rees-Zammit since July 31, the day that the 24-year-old announced he would be ending his stint in the NFL after 18 months. They have grown increasingly confident over the course of this week and the situation is said to be moving quickly. Rees-Zammit is thought to have wanted a one-year deal in order to keep his options open for the 2026-27 season and a possible move to R360, but Bristol should prove to be a strong fit for several reasons. Having streamlined their squad over recent years, Bears have sufficient room in the salary cap to absorb Rees-Zammit's wages. In Steve Lansdown, they still have a benefactor capable of bankrolling star names. Bristol bid farewell to Max Malins, Siva Naulago and Deago Bailey over the summer. While they have brought in Tom Jordan, who is a potential full-back, they only have five back three players in their senior squad: Gabriel Ibitoye, Jack Bates, Kalaveti Ravouvou, Rich Lane and Noah Heward. Rees-Zammit, a British and Irish Lions tourist in 2021, has made no secret of his desire to resume his Wales career, which currently stands on 14 tries from 32 caps after he was handed a Test debut in 2020 as a teenager. The proximity between Bristol and Cardiff, Rees-Zammit's home city, is a big plus. Bears are among the most proactive clubs when it comes to promoting players, as they showed during Ilona Maher's stint with the women's side last season, and are returning to the Principality Stadium to play a flagship fixture for a second consecutive year. After facing Bath in the first iteration of the Big Day Out, they will take on Harlequins on March 28 after the 2026 Six Nations. Rees-Zammit is sure to be a focal point of the marketing around that occasion. Ibitoye and Ravouvou thrived within Lam's expansive attacking template last season, plundering 24 tries between them in league action. Even if he will inevitably need to reacclimatise to rugby union, having spent the past year and a half as a running back and a wide receiver between Kansas City Chiefs and the Jaguars, Rees-Zammit will hope to settle quickly and demonstrate his finishing instincts.
