Synopsis: Born To Bowl takes viewers inside the colorful world of professional bowling, chronicling five stars of the sport – Kyle Troup, Anthony Simonsen, EJ Tackett, Cameron Crowe, and Jason Belmonte – as they chase glory, respect, and much-needed prize money on the Professional Bowlers Association (PBA) Tour.
Set within bowling’s blue‑collar culture, the series examines a familiar American family pastime that evokes myriad pop cultural references and reveals a quirky sport with ancient roots shaped as much by personality and persistence as by skill and precision. Every season, members of the PBA Tour travel from tournament to tournament with their balls in tow, fighting for victories from Akron to Reno, often needing to share budget hotel rooms along the way. At different stages of their careers, each man balances their ambition and love of the sport with the uncertainty of a profession built on week‑to‑week performance and earnings that often require them to take day jobs to make a living.
With every strike, spare, and split of the season, Born To Bowl offers a humorous and heartfelt portrait of life on a professional sports tour that’s anything but straight down the lane. (Courtesy HBO, 2026)
The Cast:
Liev Schreiber as the Narrator
Kyle Troup
Anthony Simonsen
EJ Tackett
Cameron Crowe
Jason Belmonte
Production Credits:
Directed by: James Lee Hernandez and Brian Lazarte
Produced by: A24, Red Hour
Executive Producers, A24 : Ben Stiller, John Lesher, Mike Tollin, Jonathan Vogler, Lev Ekster, Carissa Del Bene, James Lee Hernandez, Brian Lazarte
Co-executive Producers: Jared Polin, Isaac Solotaroff, Alexander Stevens, Jordan Bogdonavage, Amy Chaffin, Mason Gordon, Karolina Peysakhov
Executive Producers, HBO: Nancy Abraham, Lisa Heller, Bentley Weiner
The Episodes:
1-01 Episode 1--03/16/2026
At the U.S. Open, the first major tournament of the year in Indianapolis, Kyle Troup, AKA “The Pro with the ‘Fro,’” sets out to repeat as bowling’s “Green Jacket” winner.
1-02 Episode 2--03/23/2026
Vying for a spot in the U.S. Open finals, Anthony “Simo” Simonsen and Australia’s Jason “Belmo” Belmonte face off as tempers escalate and injuries flare.
1-03 Episode 3--03/30/2026
At the Pete Weber Classic in Springfield, Missouri, named after one of the sports greats, bowler extraordinaire EJ Tackett must fend off Belmo and Simo to reclaim the top prize
1-04 Episode 4--04/06/2026
200 bowlers from 18 different countries descend upon Reno, Nevada to compete in the month-long World Series of Bowling.
1-05 Episode 5--04/13/2026
As the top bowlers arrive at The Tournament of Champions in Akron, Ohio, the future of the PBA Tour hangs in the balance.
