Madison Square Garden will Host Season-Opener of PBR’s 25th Anniversary Season

NEW YORK – The PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will celebrate 25 years as the toughest sport on earth when the league opens its 2018 season in New York City for the 12^th consecutive year. The PBR’s brand of thrilling, high-flying rides and jaw-dropping wrecks will buck into Madison Square Garden on Jan. 5-7 for the Monster Energy Buck Off at the Garden.

The three-day event is the first of four PBR Majors in 2018 that will offer increased prize money and bonus points to the world’s Top 35 bull riders, as well as unique formats that will test the sport’s best in a punishing competition. Tickets are on sale now for this hotly-anticipated event.

The action begins on Friday, January 5 at 8 p.m., 7:45 p.m. on Saturday, January 6 and 6:45 p.m. and on Sunday, January 7 at 1:45 p.m. Tickets start at $38, include tax and can be purchased at all Ticketmaster outlets, online at www.ticketmaster.com or via phone at 800-745-3000. Tickets are also available at the MSG Box Office or via phone at 866-858-0088.

The Top 35 bull riders in the world will take on their 2,000-pound bovine opponents atop 750 tons of dirt spread 8 inches deep across the home of the New York Rangers and New York Knicks. The riders will each be striving to win their share of the $140,000 event purse. The PBR has awarded more than $1.2 million in New York City in the last decade, as well as valuable world standings points that count toward the season’s overall $1 million PBR World Championship title.

In 2017, young gun Jess Lockwood gritted out a perfect 4-for-4 weekend to capture his first event title of the season. After his victory, the 2016 PBR Rookie of the Year became the top-ranked bull rider in the world for the first time in his career.

Other winners in New York City include, two-time PBR world champion J.B. Mauney (2007, 2009, 2014), world champion Guilherme Marchi (2015), Valdiron de Oliveira (2008, 2011), Shane Proctor (2010), Cody Nance (2012), Robson Palermo (2013), Fabiano Vieira (2014), and Paulo Lima (2016).

PBR Elite Seats will be available for those wanting a true VIP experience. Located in an exclusive section of the arena immediately next to the chutes and all the action, the PBR Elite Seats are priced at $600 each and will give fans the VIP experience of a lifetime; a pre-event reception with refreshments, backstage tours featuring a PBR 101 presentation, and meet-and-greet with top PBR stars. These seats are also available now.

As the opening stop of the 2018 BFTS schedule, NYC will open up a fierce 26 stop tour that will rival anything MSG has to offer.

The 2018 schedule will include stops in Chicago, Anaheim, Dallas, Kansas City, St. Louis, and Sacramento. The season will culminate with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas where the 2018 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most PBR world points during the season, will receive the coveted World Championship belt buckle and $1 million bonus.