Real Time Pain Relief to Become Title Sponsor of PBR’s Premier Expansion Tour

PUEBLO, Colo. — The PBR’s (Professional Bull Riders) premier expansion series is on track to experience tremendous growth in the next few years as it was announced today that Real Time Pain Relief has agreed to a major entitlement partnership.

The PBR Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour, which began in 2014 as the BlueDEF Velocity Tour and features emerging bull riding talent alongside superstars of the sport, will produce 31 events in 2017 with expansion planned to include up to 60 events by 2019.

The Tour currently visits 26 cities in 20 states.  Through 16 events in the 2016 season, Tour attendance is up +29% versus last year.

“Real Time Pain Relief is proud to be the title sponsor of the PBR’s Velocity Tour,” said Ron Snodgrass, Co-Founder of RTPR LLC.  “Professional Bull Riders has been one of America’s fastest growing sports, and the PBR’s plan to triple the size of this Tour fits in with both our commitment to this community and the growth of the Real Time Pain Relief brand.”

“The PBR Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour is an important part of PBR’s growth,” said Sean Gleason, CEO of PBR. “This significant expansion of this series will attract new fans to the sport while providing increased exposure for our sponsors and new opportunities for our riders and stock contractors.”

This season, the Tour will continue to operate as the PBR BlueDEF Tour, with its Finals taking place at South Point Arena in Las Vegas on Oct. 29-31, leading into the PBR’s 2016 Built Ford Tough World Finals. The winner of the BlueDEF Finals, the second and third place finishers, the 2016 BlueDEF Tour Champion, and the top International qualifier will each qualify to compete at the PBR World Finals.  The Tour will then be renamed the PBR Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour when it bucks two weeks later in Ontario, California on November 12th.

PBR also announced the Tour’s remaining 2016 dates in addition to the first half of the schedule for the 2017 season. Next year, the PBR Real Time Pain Relief Velocity Tour will host inaugural events in Youngstown, Ohio and Roanoke, Virginia; returning to Birmingham Ala., after a 3-year hiatus; and stopping for the first time in Des Moines, Iowa, a very popular stop on the sport’s Built Ford Tough Series:

November 12, 2016: Ontario, California, Citizens Business Bank Arena
December 3-4, 2016: Hidalgo, Texas, State Farm Arena
December 10, 2016: Biloxi, Mississippi, Mississippi Coast Coliseum
December 17, 2016: Southaven, Mississippi, Landers Center
January 7, 2017: Oakland, California, Oracle Arena
January 9-11, 2017: Denver, Colorado, National Western Stock Show
January 14, 2017: Portland, Oregon, Moda Center
January 20-21, 2017: Youngstown, Ohio, Covelli Centre
January 27-28, 2017: Roanoke, Virginia, Berglund Center
February 4, 2017: Reno, Nevada, Lawlor Events Center
February 11, 2017: Grand Rapids, Michigan, Van Andel Arena
February 18, 2017: Dayton, Ohio, Nutter Center
February 25, 2017: Worcester, Massachusetts, DCU Center
March 4, 2017: Hampton, Virginia, Hampton Coliseum
March 11-12, 2017: Bangor, Maine, Cross Insurance Center
March 17-18, 2017: Wheeling, West Virginia, WesBanco Arena
March 25, 2017: Fresno, California, SaveMart Center
April 1, 2017: Birmingham, Alabama, Legacy Arena at the BJCC
April 8, 2017: Milwaukee, Wisconsin, BMO Harris Bradley Center
April 15, 2017: Yakima, Washington, Yakima Valley SunDome
April 22, 2017: Des Moines, Iowa, Wells Fargo Arena
April 29, 2017: Wichita, Kansas, INTRUST Bank Arena