Professional Bull Riding (PBR): What New Fans Need to Know

Professional Bull Riding (PBR) is one of the fastest-growing pro sports leagues in the United States. Whether you caught some heart-pounding action at your local rodeo or got sucked into the sport on TV, PBR has plenty of options for fans looking for their next bull-riding fix.

The PBR Team Series, which made its debut in 2022, has quickly become very popular … but let's just say it ain't the sport's first rodeo. The PBR organization first formed 30 years earlier.

If you're new to PBR, this guide will answer some of your biggest questions:

• What is PBR?
• What are PBR's competition formats?
• How is the PBR bull riding schedule set up?
• Where can I watch PBR events?

We'll also debunk some common myths about the bulls and bull riding, including some info you might be pleasantly surprised to learn.

What is PBR?

PBR is the world's top professional bull riding league. It was launched in 1992 by a group of 20 riders, who ponied up $1,000 each to get it rolling. They didn't know it at the time, but American Cowboy, Forbes, and other well-known outlets would later declare bull riding the fastest-growing sport in America.

At first, PBR was all about individual competition. The world's best bull riders would compete head to head in pursuit of the ultimate prize: the title of PBR World Champion and its $1 million payout. PBR has since grown to include a team-based league, which has exploded in popularity since barrelling onto the sports scene in 2022.

Today, more than 600 pro bull riders from around the world are PBR members. These tough-as-nails competitors ride 2,000-pound bulls for 8 seconds a turn, while judges score their performance. The rest of the details vary by format.

PBR's individual and team formats

PBR's two main formats include Unleash the Beast and the Team Series. Riders compete individually in Unleash the Beast, while the Team Series has a 10-team format built around league play.

Unleash the Beast 

Unleash the Beast features the world's 40 best bull riders, who compete head to head in a 23-event regular season. In 2025, 25 cities in 20 states will host Unleash the Beast events, with competitors earning points for their performance.

The Unleash the Beast season builds up to the PBR World Finals, which includes three rounds:

• Eliminations: This play-in round sends 15 riders directly into the finals.
   
• Ride for Redemption: Riders who went out in the Eliminations round get a second chance to qualify for the finals.
   
• Championships: The 25 riders who make it through the Eliminations and Ride for Redemption rounds compete to become PBR World Champion.

Team Series

PBR Team Series features 10 teams:

• Arizona Ridge Riders
• Austin Gamblers
• Carolina Cowboys
• Florida Freedom
• Kansas City Outlaws
• Missouri Thunder
• Nashville Stampede
• New York Mavericks
• Oklahoma Wildcatters
• Texas Rattlers

Each team has a roster of 12 riders. Two teams meet in a game, with coaches selecting five riders per team. Competitors then perform 8-second rides scored by judges. The team with the highest point total at the end of the game wins.

Teams play 35 games in a season across a schedule of 13 multi-day events. Each team hosts one event in their home city, with two more taking place at neutral sites.

Standings track wins, losses, ties, and total points, setting up the Teams Championship playoffs. A play-in round leads to an eight-team field of single-elimination games, and the last team standing becomes that year's champion.

Additional PBR formats and events

You can also catch PBR action in these competition formats:

• Challenger Series: Up-and-coming riders get their chance to make a name for themselves and win killer prizes along the way.
   
• Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour: This is another competition venue for rising talent in the world of bull riding, with up-and-comers competing for glory alongside rodeo legends.
   
• Touring Pro Division: This pro tour serves as another stepping stone for emerging riders to claw their way into Unleash the Beast competition.
   

PBR's annual schedule also includes special events like the Monster Energy Team Challenge, which gets the blood pumping with intense team rivalries featuring top Unleash the Beast competitors.

How is the PBR bull riding schedule set up?

PBR's Unleash the Beast series follows a seven-month schedule, which launches in November and ends in May. Cities from New York to California host events, and you can find one near you on PBR's Unleash the Beast events page.

The PBR Team Series season starts in July and runs through October. Check the circuit's events page for full schedule details.

Where to watch PBR

PBR broadcasts its action across a multi-platform network of TV and digital streaming partners. The broadcast setup is complicated, with Team Series games and Unleash the Beast events being available on different networks and services.

The easiest thing to find out where to watch is to go to the PBR broadcast page, find an event you want to watch, then click to find out where you can see it.

Myths and facts about professional bull riding

To casual viewers, it might look like the bull isn't having a whole lot of fun while it tries to toss a determined cowboy off its back. However, as you'll learn in PEAK Auto's Bred to Win video series, the bulls are treated surprisingly well. The insiders who care for them often consider them part of the family, just like a pet dog or cat.

The Bred to Win series inspired this run-down of myths and facts about professional bull riding and the animals who take part in the show:

Myth: Bulls spend a lot of their waking hours tied up so they buck harder during competitions.

Fact: The bulls are selectively bred for their bucking abilities, and the way they react during competitions is genetic. Animals that have been around the sport for a while learn to separate competition from everyday life. They know people aren't going to hurt them, and they're often calm and gentle when they aren't involved in a competition.

Myth: The ropes used in bull riding competitions hurt the animals.

Fact: Ropes get tied around a bull's midsection to extend their length as they buck while also making it easier for cowboys to ride them. These ropes are made of soft, fine material and they're left loose, not tight. They don't cause any distress or pain at all.

Myth: Branding a bull with a hot iron is extremely painful.

Fact: Bulls have much thicker skin than humans do, and hot-iron branding doesn't hurt them at all. Some bulls get startled when the iron first touches them but if they feel anything beyond that, it's more like being tickled than anything else.

Hop on the PBR bandwagon

Interested in learning more about PBR bull riding? Check out PEAK Auto's newly launched video series, "Bred to Win."

Three episodes are currently available:

• Episode 1: "Not Your Average Ranch"
• Episode 2: "Stock Contractors: The Unsung Heroes of PBR"
• Episode 3: "Misconceptions of Bull Riding: What Most People Get Wrong"

You can also head to the official PBR website to connect with Unleash the Beast and Team Series action, and to get your hands on an exciting schedule of live and televised events.