{"id":459111,"date":"2026-02-05T02:21:09","date_gmt":"2026-02-05T02:21:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/459111\/"},"modified":"2026-02-05T02:21:09","modified_gmt":"2026-02-05T02:21:09","slug":"former-pfl-ceo-pete-murray-reveals-new-sports-venture-away-from-mma-combat-sports","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/459111\/","title":{"rendered":"Former PFL CEO Pete Murray Reveals New Sports Venture Away From MMA, Combat Sports"},"content":{"rendered":"<p id=\"inline-text-0\" class=\"mt-[18px] md:mt-0 mb-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"4x\">Former PFL CEO Pete Murray has no regrets about his time with the promotion, as he served in the role from Jan. 2018 to July last year after creating the league from the ground up.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-1\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"50\">Murray wrote to<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\"> MMA Knockout on SI <\/a> detailing the triumphs and roadblocks he faced during his journey, but it&#8217;s the process and development of the league that he said he truly enjoyed the most.<\/p>\n<p>PFL&#8217;s Journey Under Pete Murray<img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2025\/11\/01jt3z6mmsqgpe691b46.jpg\" alt=\"PFL\" title=\"PFL\" width=\"800\" height=\"450\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"5d\"\/><\/p>\n<p>PFL<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-4\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5h\">&#8220;One of my favorite memories from my time at the PFL was seeing the vision really come to life in those early seasons &#8211; going from an idea on paper to a startup to a fully realized, global MMA league that we now call the No. 2 sports organization in the world,&#8221; Murray said. &#8220;Over the last six or seven years, the PFL has grown dramatically, from securing major broadcast deals and expanding its talent base to evolving its format.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-5\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5k\">Those broadcast deals included the likes of ESPN and DAZN as the promotion expanded its global presence in multiple formats, whether it was seasonal, the Champions Series or the PFL World Tournament.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-6\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5n\">Murray said the transition to becoming CEO of the PBA and overseeing the media side for Lucky Strike was all about career growth and timing.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-7\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5q\">&#8220;This is a defining moment for bowling &#8211; not just as a sport but as a cultural phenomenon, with nearly 70 million people participating each year, three times more than basketball, soccer, and golf,&#8221; Murray said. &#8220;The natural next step is bringing that energy to life in new formats and reimagining the sport for the global masses inside Lucky Strike Entertainment. This starts with positioning Lucky Strike Entertainment locations at the forefront of experiential entertainment, where live sport, premium content, and social connection collide.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-8\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5t\">Watching the PBA will be easier than ever, Murray said.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-9\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"5w\">&#8220;This year, we also welcome new premier media partners like The CW Network, who will host PBA championship Sundays, as well as CBS and Paramount+,&#8221; Murray said. &#8220;I\u2019m a builder, therefore excited by the challenge of modernizing the business and unlocking opportunities for athletes and fans to participate year-round.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p>Will Pete Murray Still Follow PFL?<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-11\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"62\">READ MORE: <a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/pfl-road-to-dubai-usman-nurmagomedov-alfie-davis-exchange-barbs-before-title-fight\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">PFL Road To Dubai: Usman Nurmagomedov, Alfie Davis Exchange Barbs Before Title Fight<\/a><\/p>\n<p><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/01jhnn8ve72nrgrgmmkm.jpg\" alt=\"PFL Unveils 2025 World Tournament Featuring Single-Elimination Fights &amp; New Divisions\" title=\"PFL Unveils 2025 World Tournament Featuring Single-Elimination Fights &amp; New Divisions\" width=\"1596\" height=\"897\" class=\"undefined w-full w-full blur-[5px]\" q:id=\"6c\"\/><\/p>\n<p>(PFL MMA<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-13\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6g\">Even though Murray says he is &#8220;100 percent&#8221; dialed into everything PBA-related, his love for MMA is the furthest thing from an afterthought.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-14\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6j\">&#8220;Absolutely,&#8221; Murray said. &#8220;MMA has been a huge part of my life and it\u2019s a sport I genuinely admire. I\u2019m invested in the athletes, the evolution of the sport, and the stories that make it so compelling and wish the PFL nothing but success.&#8221;<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-15\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6m\">Murray&#8217;s excitement to embark on a new journey is no more evident than in the sizzle reel put together by the PBA, getting bowling fans primed for the year ahead.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-17\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6t\">But for Murray, this is anything but a career shift. It&#8217;s the culmination of a dream.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-18\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"6w\">&#8220;I&#8217;m most excited about helping build bowling for the next generation,&#8221; Murray said. &#8220;Professionally,\u00a0 it\u2019s all about modernizing how the PBA shows up in the world, putting athletes front and center, and expanding the reach of the game globally. With my role at Lucky Strike Entertainment, there are more than 360 venues we can transform into immersive, unforgettable entertainment hubs where nightlife and media are combined.\u00a0 Personally, it\u2019s energizing to be part of something that\u2019s shaping the future of a sport I\u2019ve grown up playing while also having the chance to embark on a new chapter.\u00a0<\/p>\n<p>More MMA Knockout News<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-20\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"72\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/undefeated-mma-fighter-opponent-facedown-savage-walk-off-knockout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Undefeated MMA Fighter Leaves Opponent Facedown After Savage Walk-Off Knockout<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-21\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"75\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/ufc-incredible-main-event-full-card-fight-night-london-evloev-murphy\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">UFC Reveals Incredible Main Event &amp; Full Card for UFC Fight Night London<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-22\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"78\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/3-biggest-overreactions-from-ufc-325-alexander-volkanovski-vs-diego-lopes-2\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">3 Biggest Overreactions From UFC 325: Alexander Volkanovski vs. Diego Lopes 2<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-23\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7b\">\u2022\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\/news\/fighter-pulled-ufc-325-fight-cheating-scale-weigh-ins-aaron-tau\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\" target=\"_blank\">Fighter Pulled from UFC 325 Fight After Cheating Scale During Weigh-Ins<\/a><\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-24\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7e\">Stick with\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.si.com\/fannation\/mma\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">MMAKnockout<\/a>\u00a0for more FREE coverage of the UFC and MMA.<\/p>\n<p id=\"inline-text-25\" class=\"my-[18px] [&amp;_a]:text-secondary my-f-1.5\" q:key=\"0\" q:id=\"7h\">Follow MMAKnockout on\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/MMAKnockoutSI\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Facebook<\/a>,\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/x.com\/UFCKnockout\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow\">Twitter<\/a>, and\u00a0<a href=\"https:\/\/www.instagram.com\/mmaknockoutsi\/?hl=en\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"nofollow noopener\">Instagram<\/a>.<\/p>\n<p><script async src=\"\/\/www.instagram.com\/embed.js\"><\/script><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"Former PFL CEO Pete Murray has no regrets about his time with the promotion, as he served in&hellip;\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":459112,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[570],"tags":[64,63,786,785,85],"class_list":{"0":"post-459111","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","5":"has-post-thumbnail","7":"category-mma","8":"tag-au","9":"tag-australia","10":"tag-fighting","11":"tag-mma","12":"tag-sports"},"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459111","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=459111"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/459111\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/459112"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=459111"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=459111"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/au\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=459111"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}