11.09.23 - Headlines
PBR welcomes Florida Freedom to PBR Camping World Team Series
Oklahoma Freedom in PBR Teams League relocates to Amerant Bank Arena, competing as Florida Freedom Aug. 2-4.
By PBR
PUEBLO, Colo. – Ahead of PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Teams’ third season in 2024, the bull riding league has announced the Florida Freedom, a new team based in Florida.
The Florida Freedom had been competing as the Oklahoma Freedom based in Paycom Center in Oklahoma City, Oklahoma, for the league’s first two seasons. The team is relocating to South Florida as the Florida Freedom with their annual homestand to be held in Amerant Bank Arena in Sunrise, Florida, August 2-4.
The PBR Camping World Team Series will begin its third season of five-on-five bull riding games in July, culminating with the 2024 Teams Championship in Las Vegas in late October.
“I couldn’t be more excited to bring Florida a professional sports team,” said Heath Freeman, owner of the Florida Freedom. “This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity with the PBR’s exponential growth.”
“Over 30 years, PBR has held a number of successful events across the state of Florida, where the sport has many loyal fans,” said PBR CEO and Commissioner Sean Gleason. “We are an international sport, and South Florida is an area of great diversity. Under Heath Freeman’s leadership, The Florida Freedom is primed to build a passionate and diverse fan base rooting for their team competing in an exciting, growing sports league.”
The PBR Camping World Team Series completed the 2023 season averaging more than 1 million viewers per CBS broadcast, according to Neilsen. Event attendance was up 24 percent over the inaugural season. Off the dirt, the bull-riding league was also buoyed by an acclaimed docuseries, “The Ride,” streaming on Prime Video.
“We are thrilled to have the Florida Freedom choose Amerant Bank Arena as the new home for their exciting PBR Teams homestand,” said Florida Panthers Chief Operating Officer Bryce Hollweg. “We're grateful for the opportunity to showcase our venue here in Sunrise, Florida, and encourage the South Florida community to watch the wildest 8-second ride on earth up close as this PBR league continues to grow significantly throughout the country.”
In 2023, the Freedom finished No. 4 in the regular season with a 14-14 record. The team was led by Caden Bunch’s breakout season, successfully making the eight-second mark on 9 of his 14 bulls, and rookie Elizmar Jeremias (7-for-18). The team started ranked No. 4 in the progressive elimination Championship tournament in Las Vegas, and Bunch stepped up once again, walking off the win to beat the league’s reigning Champion Nashville Stampede in Round 1. In Round 2, the Freedom fell to the eventual 2023 champion Texas Rattlers before being eliminated in the second Last Chance Game by the Missouri Thunder.
This relocation won’t be the end of bull riding in Oklahoma City, according to PBR. Future competitions are being planned.