By Mike Pettinella
For Video News Service
It’s official. Beat The Champ is returning to Western New York television.
Executive Producer Joe Ciccone has announced that the season premiere of Beat The Champ presented by Storm is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. this Saturday on MSG Network, the new home of the iconic TV bowling show that dates back to 1957.
Paul Peck and Sue Nawojski are returning to provide commentary for the singles competition which enjoyed a run of a few years on a different station.
Ciccone, in a press release, said, “We are excited to bring Beat The Champ back to television with a great new TV partner in MSG. Our coverage on MSG allows us to broaden our base and include events in Rochester as well as in Buffalo.”
The series will run for 32 weeks for the 2024-25 season, ending with a special invitational tournament on the final week. Ciccone said that bowlers who make the TV finals during the season will qualify for the invitational and have a chance at the biggest prize fund of the year.
Each show will feature four bowlers competing in a stepladder finals format to determine a weekly winner. The champion moves on to the following week as the top seed to defend his or her title.
The late Nin Angelo, who resided in Newfane, holds the Beat The Champ record for winning the most consecutive weeks with 19 straight wins in 1970-71.
Qualifying for the shows will be held next at ABC Gates Bowl in Rochester, with squads starting at noon on Nov. 10.