PBR Legends, Influencers Reflect on Sport’s Growth, Future During the Ride Series Premier
By: James Youness
FORT WORTH, Texas – With the anticipated debut of the PBR Team Series-centered docuseries The Ride set to debut on Amazon Prime Tuesday, May 30, some of the industry’s best bull riders, biggest living legends, Western supporters and beyond gathered in the Fort Worth Stockyards Sunday evening to take in the official series premier.
Taking place within the historic district, the PBR continues to celebrate its 30th anniversary by celebrating various aspects of its ever-growing footprint of innovation.
Partnering with the Fort Worth Film Commission, Fort Worth Sport Commission and of course Amazon Prime in bringing the premier to life, more than 200 guests came together to usher in the riveting new series.
With guests ranging from reality TV stars and social media influencers to three-time World Champion Adriano Moraes alongside the riders and coaches featured within the series themselves, the red carpet was full of past, present and future bull riding enthusiasts.
Serenated by the acoustic-accompanied sounds of Matthew McNeil, a Fort Worth-based musician, guests enjoyed various cocktails and small bites as the room was quickly filled with energy and excitement.
Even from legends like Michael Gaffney, who not only stars in the exclusive new series, but has been within the limelight for more then three decades, now, it’s stirring up some smiles and stories.
“That was always the mission. For us, when we left that hotel room in 1992, 30 years ago, it was ‘How are we going to differentiate ourselves from traditional rodeo and build this brand?’” the Austin Gamblers head coach shared Sunday.
“It was truly a pipe dream. I’ve used that term a lot, but it really was. If you would’ve told us then where we’d be today 30 years ago, we would’ve just laughed at you. This Teams situation is the next evolution of the sport and we’ve got to harness that, protect that and do everything we can. This program that’s going to be aired on Amazon Prime is really looking great, and I’m excited about it.”
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While the finished product shines light on the triumphs and tribulations of some of the most talented riders in the world, it may take another trip around the sun for everyone to get comfortable with the added media presence.
“There are those times in the locker room when things are getting pretty tense and you know that there’s cameras in the room and you get frustrated. The guys sometimes get kind of annoyed, but that’s part of it and part of looking forward to that growth and what it’s going to take,” Gaffney detailed.
“Hopefully when these guys do step away from the business of bull riding, they have something. It’s these types of situations that can fill those coffers for them and give them a chance to earn money and do the things that they want to do when they’re done riding. I’m excited about it and I’m proud to be a part of it.”
Part of those efforts in growing not only the new 5-on-5 format, but the overall success of PBR, lies in mastering the art of connecting with new audiences.
Peeling back the layers and offering never-before-seen access to the world’s best bull riders is merely the latest venture as the organization continues to expand horizons.
“Amazon has such a huge reach, there’s hundreds of millions of people that they touch. When we can get in front of new audiences and tell the stories of our cowboys, it only helps grow the sport,” PBR Team Series Commissioner and PBR CEO Sean Gleason said at the premier.
“Fans should be ecstatic for Year Two of the PBR Team Series. We had such a great inaugural year. We were kind of learning our way and there were a few hiccups, but it was one of the best bull riding products that anybody has ever seen. Every event was exciting, every ride mattered and if you love bull riding, you love this sport now.”
Doubling down on the anticipation, Oklahoma Freedom coach Cord McCoy echoed the excitement for the return of the team-based adventures.
“I think we’re all pretty pumped about season two. We all got just enough of a taste of defeat and winning to figure out which one we like, so I think we’re all ready to go again,” McCoy shared.
“Its funny to be behind the chutes at the PBR World Finals and you feel like you’re already pulling a little more for (Derek) Kolbaba, pulling a little bit more for (Chase) Outlaw because it just one more week, they’ll be back part of the Oklahoma Freedom.”
Receiving tons of encouraging compliments and feedback from attendees, PBR and Amazon teamed up to showcase nearly 50 minutes of action from the new series inside the Cowboy Channel Studios, with the flashy new series set to debut on Amazon Prime in two weeks.
PBR fans can stay tuned to PBR.com and PBR social media channels for the latest PBR Team Series news and are encouraged to tune into the 2023 PBR Team Series Draft on Wednesday, May 17.
With action kicking off at 5 p.m. CST on RidePass on Pluto TV, fans can tune in to see the next wave of prospective talent welcomed to each of the league’s eight competitive squads before attending the PBR Dirty 30 Party as the organization celebrates via the biggest party in company history!
Photo courtesy of Andy Watson/Bull Stock Media
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