6 days ago
Fox Nation Makes First Sports Rights Deal, Teaming With Professional Bull Riders For Weekly Live Events
Fox Nation is teaming up with Professional Bull Riders Camping World Team Series for exclusive rights to PBR Friday Night Live broadcasts.
The series will launch on Aug. 8 in Sunrise, FL, and continue through the fall, finishing with the league's championship opener on Oct. 24 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
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In the lead up to the live coverage, starting this Friday, Fox Nation will debut Season 2 of the reality series Last Cowboy Standing. Over the span of 10 weekly episodes, the series features a group of amateur bull riders competing for a chance to join a PBR team.
The pact is the first sports rights deal for Fox Nation, which was launched by Fox Corp. in 2018 as a streaming companion to Fox News. While the company does not disclose subscriber numbers for the service, Fox CEO Lachlan Murdoch recently estimated it has surpassed 2 million paying customers, with a programming mix of original series and movies. Fox News talent has by and large not appeared on Fox Nation, which has helped the service carve out its own identity.
The PBR is now part of the Ari Emanuel-run TKO Group Holdings, alongside the UFC and WWE. The bull riding circuit was acquired by Endeavor as Emanuel and his executive team were building it into a diversified conglomerate. Prior to Endeavor being taken private this year by Silver Lake, it sold the PBR and two other assets to TKO for $3.25 billion.
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Fox Nation president Lauren Petterson said the outlet 'could not ask for a better partner to kick off our first foray into live sports. PBR is an incredibly unique sport with an unrivaled, passionate fan base, and it's a great addition to the entire Fox Nation viewer experience.'
PBR CEO and Commissioner Sean Gleason said programming like Last Cowboy Standing and Kid Rock's Rock N Rodeo that Fox Nation's 'devoted audience is eager for exciting Western sports content.'
Dade Hayes contributed to this report.
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