PBR Canada, TSN Ink Broadcast Partnership Extension for 2020 Season

PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Canada has extended its broadcast agreement with TSN for 2020 in a continued effort to deliver viewers the largest scope of western sports programming in Canadian history. For the third consecutive year, TSN will broadcast PBR competition for 32 weeks, once again recapping action from both Canadian and American-based tours.

Beginning on April 29, the weekly, one-hour highlight shows will feature events from the Monster Energy Tour, Canada’s premier bull riding series; U.S.-based PBR Unleash The Beast, the sport’s elite tour showcasing the Top 35 bull riders in the world; and the PBR Global Cup, a five-nation, team-formatted event regarded as the “Olympics of bull riding.”

In 2020, TSN will also bring viewers never-before-televised PBR Canada competition, carrying the newly-launched 5/5 Bucking Battle. This special round pits the Top 5 bull riders from the Canadian national standings against the five rankest bucking bulls at the event, offering a separate purse and additional national points.

“Each season, action on PBR Canada’s Monster Energy Tour has grown more intense, with TSN bringing viewers every single must-ride, edge-of-your-seat moment,” said Jason Davidson, Director of Operations, PBR Canada. “Through PBR’s successful partnership with Canada’s Sports Leader and #1 specialty network, we have been able to grow our audience, allowing the sport of bull riding to reach new heights in Canada.”

Programming will begin on April 29 with the first stop of the 2020 season for the elite PBR Unleash The Beast, the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden, presented by Ariat, which bucked into Madison Square Garden in New York City in early January.

The network will then air four additional Unleash The Beast events from May 6-27, before broadcasting the 2020 WinStar World Resort and Casino PBR Global Cup USA, presented by Monster Energy, on June 3. Fans can relive Team Canada’s exciting quest for redemption as the nation sought their first-ever Global Cup Championship inside AT&T Stadium in Arlington, Texas.

Following three additional airings of Unleash The Beast action from St. Louis, Missouri; Little Rock, Arkansas, and Duluth, Georgia from June 10-23, TSN will then bring viewers the season-launch Canadian Monster Energy Tour event from Calgary, Alberta.

Coverage from Calgary will begin on June 23 with Round 1 and the first-ever 5/5 Bucking Battle from the Nutrien Western Event Centre.

TSN will then bring viewers coverage of the final day of competition from the sold-out event in Calgary, including Round 2 and the championship round, on June 30.

The broadcast of the two-day Calgary Classic will be followed with back-to-back episodes from the second tour stop of the 2020 season in Lethbridge, Alberta.

Round 1 and the second-ever 5/5 Bucking Battle from the ENMAX Centre will be televised on July 7, followed by Round 2 and the championship round on July 14.

After 17 weeks of programming from both Canada’s elite Monster Energy Tour and the world’s premier Unleash The Beast, the 2020 slate of programming will conclude with coverage from both the PBR Canada and World Finals.

On November 25, viewers will be able to watch one rider ascend to bull riding royalty as he is crowned the 2020 PBR World Champion, earning the coveted gold buckle and $1 million bonus.

PBR action on TSN in 2020 will then conclude on December 1 with a one-hour special from the 2020 PBR Canada Finals where one rider will be crowned the top bull rider in the nation and receive a $50,000 cheque.