PBA Retains Shamrock Sports and Entertainment

The Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) has retained Portland, Maine-based Shamrock Sports and Entertainment to provide strategic marketing and sponsorship development services for the world’s largest professional bowling program.

The joint announcement was made Monday by PBA CEO Geoff Reiss and Shamrock's President & Founder, Brian Corcoran.

"Re-defining what the PBA has to offer to marketers is fundamental to our success and represents a huge growth opportunity for us,” Reiss said. “Working with Shamrock will kick start our ability to develop programs that will demonstrate that the PBA offers unparalleled value to its partners.

“The PBA has concluded Shamrock is the partner we believe will elevate the PBA brand. Brian’s record of success in other sports, including NASCAR, is exactly the kind of success story we plan to develop as part of our new relationship with America’s business leaders.”

Shamrock is a privately-owned sports marketing and sales agency led by Corcoran, a former NASCAR and Fenway Sports Group Executive. At NASCAR, Corcoran spearheaded efforts to land the largest sports sponsorship in U.S. history with the series entitlement of the NASCAR Nextel Cup Series, reported at $750 million, that later evolved into the NASCAR Sprint Cup Series.

“The heart of our business is developing profitable partnerships between brands and properties to generate excitement beyond what either could achieve on its own,” Corcoran said. “Shamrock is not in the business of sponsorship; we are in the business of creating strategic and mutually rewarding partnerships. Our goal is to optimize the assets of our partners and establish value in their brands.

“We don’t acquire rights, we activate rights,” he added. “We don’t buy impressions, we create experiences. We don’t showcase brands, we communicate brand values.”

Shamrock’s current client roster includes the Boston Athletic Association, which conducts the Boston Marathon; Seaworld Parks and Entertainment; Richard Childress Racing; the Millrose Games and the Arena Football League, among others.

Shamrock's immediate priorities are to enhance and extend the PBA brand through entitlement partnership programs and other initiatives.

Initially, Corcoran and Shamrock Executive Vice President Dan Gacetta will oversee the PBA partnership.

"We are extremely excited to forge a partnership with the PBA, which represents the elite of the world’s more than 90 million bowling participants,” Corcoran said. “Bowling is without question the largest competitive sport in the world. It has unlimited potential. Our goal will be to tap that potential by providing participants and corporate partners with unmatched experiences and value."

For more information on the PBA and partnership opportunities, contact Corcoran (bc@shamrockse.com) or Gacetta (dg@shamrockse.com) by email or by telephone at 207-899-0490.

For more information about the Professional Bowlers Association, visit pba.com.