OLN® and the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) announced yesterday that the network will continue as the cable home of the PBR through 2010. As it has since 2003, OLN will televise the PBR on Saturday and Sunday nights throughout the PBR season, which includes, at minimum, 22 regular season events and the PBR World Finals, as well as three Challenger Tour events, including the Challenger Tour World Finals. The Challenger Tour is the secondary level within PBR's multi-tiered event structure.
"The PBR represents more than 100 hours of top-rated, prime time programming on our network," said Gavin Harvey, President of OLN. "Our partners at the PBR continually impress us with their dedication and innovation concerning every aspect of bull riding – from the marketing, to the presentation of the event, to the bulls and the riders – they are tireless in growing the profile and the popularity of the sport. We look forward to working with Randy Bernard and his team to continue the sports' phenomenal growth."
"OLN has been a great home for the PBR. Our consistent prime time slot has given loyal PBR fans very reliable and high quality programming and I am proud to say that OLN has always endeavored to enhance the television production," said Randy Bernard, CEO of the PBR. "OLN devotes great care to coordinating a first-class production team of knowledgeable professionals, and while managing their business, they always make every effort to weigh what is in the best interest of the PBR, our athletes, and, of course, our fans. I am proud of the longevity of our relationship with OLN and of giving PBR fans dependable programming."
The PBR has enjoyed solid growth ever since its inception in 1992. From 2003 – 2005 the PBR saw a 49 percent increase in its fan base, making it one of the fastest growing sports in the United States.* On television, the property delivers solid audiences week to week, averaging 381,000 total viewers per telecast in the first quarter of 2006, pacing 10 percent ahead of where it was at this time last year. Additionally, younger viewers have been coming to the PBR in droves, with men 25-54 up 10 percent as compared to last year and a whopping 43 percent as compared to 2003, when OLN began televising the events.
In addition to ratings success on OLN, the PBR continues to sell out arenas across the country. From Massachusetts and Missouri to California and Connecticut, fans line up to get up close and personal with their favorite bulls, like Mossy Oak Mudslinger, Smokeless Wardance and Ugly; and their favorite cowboys, like Justin McBride, Adriano Moraes and Chris Shivers. The network has also attracted several advertisers as a result of the partnership with the PBR, including Anheuser-Busch, Bombardier, Dickies, Enterprise Rent-A-Car, Ford Trucks, Rocky Boots, and Yamaha Motor Corp.
More than 104 million viewers tune in each year to the PBR on NBC, OLN and on a host of foreign networks across the globe. With over 500 hours of prime time programming annually PBR ranks among the most prolific sports on air, in addition to attracting over one million live event attendees each year with its multi-tiered event structure which includes the marquee Built Ford Tough Series presented by Wrangler, the U.S. Smokeless Tobacco Company Challenger Tour, the Enterprise Rent-A-Car Tour, and the Discovery Tour, designed specifically for entry level contestants. The PBR's governing board of directors is comprised of renowned bull riders who have developed the event into a stand alone sport which is experiencing unprecedented growth in global popularity. The PBR is headquartered in Colorado Springs, Colo., and has over 600 athletes competing in more than 100 PBR sanctioned competitions.
For additional information on the Professional Bull Riders, please visit www.pbrnow.com or call 719.471.3008.
OLN is the leader in competitive and adrenaline-charged content. Now in more than 63 million homes, OLN is the cable home of the National Hockey League and best-in-class events like The Tour de France, The America's Cup, Professional Bull Riders (PBR), the Boston Marathon and USSA Skiing. The network offers unique programming in four primary areas: Action Sports, Field Sports, Bulls & Rodeo and Awe-Inspiring Series, and is the exclusive home of Survivor in syndication. OLN, a wholly owned company of Comcast Corporation (NASDAQ: CMCSA, CMCSK), is distributed via cable systems and satellite operators throughout the United States.
*Two year growth rate from 2003 to 2005 based on the number of respondents who watched or attended various sporting events. Scarborough Sports Marketing 2002-2005.
