The NBC Sports Group and Professional Bull Riders (PBR) havereached an agreement for 20 Built Ford Tough Series broadcasts in2012 on NBC and NBC Sports Network, it was announced today. Theagreement marks the 12th year in a row that PBR will have abroadcast on NBC.
NBC Sports Network, to be renamed from VERSUS on Jan. 2, 2012,will air more than 30 hours of live event programming with 13regular-season Built Ford Tough Series broadcasts, and twoperformances of the Built Ford Tough World Finals. NBC willbroadcast four regular-season events, beginning Jan. 8 from MadisonSquare Garden in New York, and will again broadcast ChampionshipSunday from the PBR World Finals on Oct. 28.
"PBR is legacy programming that has been on VERSUS and NBC formore than a decade," said Jon Miller, President,Programming, NBC Sports and NBC Sports Network. "We look forward toit returning to our schedule in 2012."
"NBC was the first broadcast network to believe in the PBR, andthis will be the 11th year in a row that NBC Sports Network,formerly VERSUS, has televised the Built Ford Tough Series," saidPBR President and COO Sean Gleason. "We're excitedthat both networks will be the broadcast home of our biggest eventsin 2012."
The PBR made its network television debut on NBC in 2001 withone broadcast. The PBR and NBC relationship has expanded over theyears to include as many as eight network broadcasts in a year,including Championship Sunday from the PBR World Finals.
Built Ford Tough Series telecasts are produced for the PBR undera multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a LosAngeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winnerand Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves asexecutive producer. Returning for his sixth season as theplay-by-play broadcaster is Craig Hummer, who willbe joined each week by one color commentator. The colorcommentators will be nine-time World Champion and PBR co-founderTy Murray, two-time PBR World ChampionJustin McBride, and PBR Ring of Honor memberJ.W. Hart. The behind-the-chutes reporters will beLeah Garcia, who has worked for the PBR since2004, and Marty Snider, who has covered PBRevents, including the Built Ford Tough World Finals, each of thelast two years.
The PBR is the world's premier bull riding organization. Thisyear marks the 20th anniversary of the founding of the PBR. In justtwo decades, the dream of 20 bull riders has become a global sportsphenomenon that is televised worldwide. More than 100 millionviewers annually watch primetime PBR programming on networks aroundthe world including NBC and NBC Sports Network. The PBR has awardedover $100 million in prize money and 21 riders have earned over $1million, including Justin McBride with $5.5 million -- the most ofany western sports athlete in history. Nearly two million fansattend Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division events eachyear. For more information on the PBR, go to www.pbr.com, or follow on Facebook at www.facebook.com/TeamPBRand http://twitter.com/TEAMPBR.
Date | Event | Time | Network | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Jan. 8 | Madison Square Garden Invitational Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Marty Snider 2:30 PM ET | NBC | Jan. 29 | Sacramento Invitational Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Marty Snider 1:30 PM ET | NBC | Feb. 11 | Oklahoma City Invitational Craig Hummer, Justin McBride, and Leah Garcia 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Feb. 18 | Atlanta Invitational Craig Hummer, J.W. Hart, and Marty Snider 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Feb. 25 | Houston Invitational Craig Hummer, Justin McBride, and Leah Garcia 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | March 3 | Dickies® Iron Cowboy III Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Marty Snider 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | March 10 | Detroit Invitational Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Leah Garcia 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Aug. 11 | Tulsa Invitational Craig Hummer, J.W. Hart, and Marty Snider 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Aug. 18 | San Antonio Invitational Craig Hummer, Justin McBride, and Marty Snider 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Aug. 25 | TBD Craig Hummer, Justin McBride, and Leah Garcia 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Sept. 1 | Thackerville Invitational Craig Hummer, J.W. Hart, and Leah Garcia 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Sept. 9 | Nashville Invitational Craig Hummer, J.W. Hart, and Leah Garcia 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Sept. 16 | Springfield Invitational Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Marty Snider 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Sept. 23 | Tampa Invitational Craig Hummer, Justin McBride, and Leah Garcia 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Sept. 30 | Greensboro Invitational Craig Hummer, J.W. Hart, and Leah Garcia 8 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Oct. 7 | Philadelphia Invitational Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Marty Snider 1:30 PM ET | NBC | Oct. 14 | Columbus Invitational Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, and Marty Snider 1:30 PM ET | NBC | Oct. 26 | Built Ford Tough World Finals Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, J.W. Hart, Justin McBride, Leah Garcia,,and Marty Snider 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Oct. 27 | Built Ford Tough World Finals Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, J.W. Hart, Justin McBride, Leah Garcia,,and Marty Snider 9 PM ET | NBC Sports Network | Oct. 28 | Built Ford Tough World Finals Craig Hummer, Ty Murray, J.W. Hart, Justin McBride, Leah Garcia,,and Marty Snider 4 PM ET | NBC |