Hollywood Bowl Group

What Hollywood Bowl Group does

Hollywood Bowl Group plc is a publicly listed (LSE: BOWL, FTSE 250 since March 2024) international leisure operator of ten-pin bowling and family entertainment centres, headquartered in Hemel Hempstead, United Kingdom. The Group operates 92 centres across two markets under three core brands: Hollywood Bowl (77 UK centres including Putt & Play), Splitsville (15-16 Canadian centres), and Puttstars/Putt & Play (indoor mini-golf). It is the largest ten-pin bowling operator in the UK and Canada, and the world's second largest, serving families, young adults, couples, corporate groups, and schools with a combined entertainment offering of bowling lanes, American-style diners, licensed bars, amusement arcades, and (in some sites) mini-golf, go-karts, ropes courses, and ziplines.

The Group's operating model is anchored on owned-and-operated retail centres, predominantly in out-of-town retail and leisure parks with high footfall and co-tenancy alongside cinemas and casual dining. Technology assets include a proprietary online booking platform with dynamic pricing (driving 67% of UK bowling revenue through online pre-bookings), pins-on-strings pinsetters installed across 97% of the UK estate, mobile at-lane food/drink ordering, a cashless arcade platform (Tigapo App), live digital leaderboards, and a digital customer feedback programme that supports a record NPS of 71. Revenue is generated through transaction fees across bowling games (£12.22 spend per game), food and beverage, amusements (29% of UK revenue mix), corporate and birthday party events, and mini-golf. Canadian operations, which have tripled centre count since FY2022, contributed 15% of group revenue in FY2025. The Group also owns Striker Bowling Solutions, a B2B bowling equipment supplier and exclusive Brunswick distributor in Canada, acquired as part of the Teaquinn/Splitsville transaction.

Hollywood Bowl Group has pursued a multi-brand roll-up strategy since its 2010 formation, with the 2016 IPO funding further expansion, the 2022 entry into Canada via the CAD 17 million Teaquinn acquisition, and follow-on Canadian deals in Calgary (2023, CAD 12 million) and Saskatoon (Stoked, 2024). FY2025 delivered record revenue of £250.7 million (+8.8% YoY), adjusted EBITDA of £91.2 million (+4.2%), and profit after tax of £34.6 million (+15.7%), with a market capitalisation of approximately £404.6 million as of April 2026 and a total annual dividend of 13.28p per share. The Group has stated long-term expansion targets of 95 UK centres and 35 Canadian centres by FY2035, with active new openings in Cardiff (2026), Edinburgh (2026), Inverness (2025, £3.1 million), Preston (2025, £2.9 million), Colchester (2024, £5.5 million), and Dundee (2024, £3 million).

Name

Hollywood Bowl Group

Legal name

The Original Bowling Company Limited and Hollywood Bowl Group plc

Website

https://hollywoodbowlgroup.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Hollywood Bowl Group plc (LSE: BOWL) is a publicly listed UK leisure operator and the largest ten-pin bowling company in the UK and Canada, running 92 bowling, mini-golf, and family entertainment centres under the Hollywood Bowl, Splitsville, and Puttstars brands for families, corporate groups, and schools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Family Entertainment Centres

NAICS

Bowling Centers (71395), Amusement Arcades (713120), Amusement Parks and Arcades (7131)

SIC

Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)

akta.pro primary industry

Coin-Operated Entertainment (Pinball, Crane/Claw, Jukebox, Darts/Billiards) (MPAEAJAF)

Keywords

• Ten-pin bowling
• Family entertainment centres
• Bowling alley operations
• Indoor leisure venues
• Mini-golf entertainment

Headquarters

HQ city

Hemel Hempstead

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Bowling Games Revenue: Core bowling lane revenue from games played. The company reported £12.22 spend per game with 7.5% decline in game volumes offset by increased pricing. Online bookings account for 67% of bowling revenue.
2. Food and Beverage: American-style diner and bar sales. Diner spend per game increased 6.0% year-on-year, with bar spend per game up 4.1%. Revenue split includes burgers, hot dogs, shakes, and cocktails.
3. Amusements: Arcade games and amusements contributing 29% of UK revenue mix. Rolling machine upgrade programme with new machines introduced across the estate. Spend per game up 15.1% year-on-year.
4. Corporate and Event Hire: Birthday parties, corporate events, and group bookings including Christmas parties. Dedicated party packages available for booking.
5. Mini Golf (Puttstars): Puttstars indoor mini-golf centres with three nine-hole courses per venue. Additional entertainment offering within the Group's portfolio.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Hollywood Bowl Group plc is a publicly listed international leisure operator that runs ten-pin bowling and family entertainment centres under the Hollywood Bowl, Splitsville, and Puttstars brands across the UK and Canada. The Group earns revenue primarily from bowling games, food and beverage sales (American-style diners and bars), arcade amusements, and corporate/birthday event hire, with online pre-booking and dynamic pricing generating the majority of bowling revenue.

Product overview

Hollywood Bowl Group operates a multi-brand leisure entertainment platform across the UK and Canada. The core offering consists of Hollywood Bowl (UK bowling), Splitsville (Canadian bowling and entertainment), and Putt & Play (UK mini-golf). Each centre provides bowling lanes or mini-golf courses alongside licensed bars, American-style diners, and amusement arcades. The company generates revenue through bowling/spending per game, food and beverage sales, and amusements. The Group operates 92 centres globally with expansion targets of 95 UK centres by FY2035 and 35 Canadian centres by FY2035.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Hollywood Bowl: Long-established ten-pin bowling brand with high-quality centres co-located with mixed retail or leisure units. UK market leader with 77 centres.
• Splitsville
• Puttstars / Putt & Play

Products and services

• Hollywood Bowl (UK Bowling Centres) Long-established UK ten-pin bowling brand operating 77 high-quality centres co-located with mixed retail or leisure units, offering bowling lanes, licensed bars, American diners, and amusement arcades. Targeted at families and group leisure customers.
• Splitsville (Canadian Entertainment Centres) Canadian family entertainment brand operating 16 large-scale venues combining ten-pin bowling, casual dining, arcades, VIP lanes, and other entertainment options. Includes Splitsville-branded bowling and additional amenities such as laser tag and VR arcade.
• Puttstars / Putt & Play (Mini-Golf Centres) Indoor mini-golf brand featuring three 9-hole courses (The Rookie, The Enthusiast, The Master) with digital scoring via mobile, alongside a bar, diner, and amusement areas. Five locations operating across the UK.
• Birthday Party Packages Dedicated party packages combining bowling, food, and entertainment for birthday celebrations at Group centres across the UK and Canada. Targeted at families and party organisers.
• Corporate and Group Event Hire Dedicated corporate packages including Christmas parties, team-building events, and group bookings with VIP lane access. Targeted at corporate customers and group organisers.
• Striker Bowling Solutions (B2B Equipment Supply) B2B supplier and installer of bowling equipment operating in Canada, holding exclusive rights to distribute Brunswick products in Canada. Sells and installs bowling equipment for third-party operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• Net Promoter Score of 71 in FY2025 - record for the estate
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Striker Bowling SolutionscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 May 2022B2B supplier and installer of bowling equipment acquired as part of Teaquinn acquisition. Owns exclusive rights to Brunswick product distribution in Canada. Provides valuable industry insight and supports Splitsville's own refurbishment and expansion programme.
• Landlords and Property DeveloperscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong track record of successful partnerships with landlords and developers. Preferred tenant in retail and leisure schemes. New centres co-located with cinemas, casual dining, and other entertainment options creating high-footfall destinations.
• YYC Bowling & Entertainment (HLD Investments Inc.)minorOthersAcquired in February 2023 as part of Calgary expansion. Three entertainment centres in Calgary market with ten-pin bowling, dining, drinks and amusement offers.
• Mountain View Bowl Inc.minorOthersAcquired in February 2023 as part of Calgary expansion. Bowling centre with ten-pin bowling, dining, drinks and amusement offers.
• Let's Bowl (Wong and Lewis Investments Inc.)minorOthersAcquired in February 2023 as part of Calgary expansion. Bowling centre with ten-pin bowling, dining, drinks and amusement offers.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Puttshack: Premium indoor mini-golf and entertainment operator with venues in the UK and US. Direct overlap with Hollywood Bowl's Puttstars/Putt & Play mini-golf offering and shared 'competitive socialising' target customer.
• Bowlero Corporation: The world's largest ten-pin bowling operator, headquartered in the US, operating hundreds of centres under the Bowlero, Lucky Strike, and AMF brands. Most direct comparable to Hollywood Bowl on core ten-pin bowling model, though US-centric and significantly larger.
• Ten Entertainment Group: UK ten-pin bowling operator with multiple sites focused on family entertainment, directly competing with Hollywood Bowl in the UK bowling market. Closest UK-based pure-play bowling competitor.

Emerging players

• Topgolf Callaway Brands: Tech-enabled golf entertainment venues combining sport, dining, and social experience. Adjacent competitor in the broader competitive socialising / leisure-out-of-home category Hollywood Bowl targets.
• Main Event Entertainment: US family entertainment centre chain (now owned by Dave & Buster's) combining bowling, laser tag, arcade, and dining. Closely mirrors the multi-attraction centre format used by Splitsville in Canada.

Broad incumbents

• Dave & Buster's Entertainment: US-based publicly listed operator of large-format family entertainment centres combining arcade gaming, food, beverage, and attractions. Comparable multi-revenue centre model with F&B + amusements + entertainment, although larger format and US-focused.
• Chuck E. Cheese: US family entertainment centre operator combining arcade games, rides, food, and entertainment for families with children. Overlapping family-segment customer base and amenity mix, although US-only.

Regional players

• MFA Bowl: Long-established UK bowling operator with multiple sites offering ten-pin bowling and family entertainment. Directly comparable bowling format and UK geographic overlap.
• Superbowl UK: UK-based ten-pin bowling operator with multiple family entertainment centres. Direct UK bowling competitor with similar leisure-anchor positioning in retail and leisure parks.
• Namco Funscape: UK operator of family entertainment centres offering bowling, arcades, and amusements. Comparable multi-attraction UK leisure format with arcade and bowling combinations.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Hollywood Bowl Group