The BFTS Arrives in Charlotte

PUEBLO, Colo. – With only six events left before the 2016 PBR (Professional Bull Riders) Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas, the Charlotte Invitational, presented by Cooper Tires, will be a crucial event for riders looking to solidify their spot in the Top 35 of the PBR world standings.

The action packed two-day event will be held at Time Warner Cable Arena, beginning at 8 p.m. on Friday, Sept. 16, and 7 p.m. on Saturday, Sept. 17. Tickets start at $25 and are on sale now at the Time Warner Cable Arena box office, online at Ticketmaster.com or by calling PBR customer service at 1-800-732-1727.

New to the ticket options this year are the PBR Elite Seats. Located in an exclusive section of the arena, immediately next to the chutes and all of the action, the PBR Elite Seats are priced at $325 each for Saturday only, and will give fans the VIP experience of a lifetime. The VIP experience includes a pre-event reception with refreshments, backstage tours featuring a PBR 101 presentation and meet-and-greets with some of the PBR’s top stars. These seats are also on sale now.

North Carolina fans will experience non-stop action filled with captivating 8-second rides and jaw-dropping wrecks as they watch 150-pound cowboys risk it all against opponents more than 10 times their size, weighing in at roughly 2,000 pounds.

All Top 35 bull riders will ride one bull each in Rounds 1 and 2 on Friday and Saturday. After Round 2 on Saturday, the riders’ individual scores will be totaled and the Top 15 riders on the weekend will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round for one more ride and a chance at the $30,000 event title.

North Carolina natives who will compete in Charlotte include two-time and reigning PBR World Champion, J.B. Mauney as well as Gage Gay. Three additional World Champions will join them, including Mike Lee (2004), Guilherme Marchi (2008) and three-time World Champion Silvano Alves(2011, 2012, 2014).

Winners in Charlotte have included Kaique Pacheco (2015), Douglas Ferreira (2011), Silvanei Dias (2007), Chris Shivers (2006), Adriano Moraes (2000, 1997), Rogerio Ferreira (1999), Gilbert Carrillo (1998) and Jim Sharp & Ty Murray (1996).

Round 2 and the Built Ford Tough Championship Round will be televised on CBS Sports Network at 6 p.m. ET on Sunday. Fans can also watch each round of competition live on PBR LIVE.

PBR LIVE is available at no charge to all fans and media. Visit www.PBR.com/live to view. Fans can also watch all of the action via the PBR LIVE app, which is available for download on Google Play and iTunes.

The Charlotte Invitational will be the 21^st event on the 2016 PBR Built Ford Tough Series schedule. The season will consist of 26 stops, traveling to such cities as Chicago, New York, Anaheim, Calif., and Dallas. It will climax with the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Nov. 2-6 when the 2016 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most world standings points during the season, will receive the coveted World Championship belt buckle and $1 million bonus.

The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.