Stephen Montoya
From the left, PBR CEO and commissioner Sean Gleason, Dr. Phil McGraw, and Joel Cheatwood, EVP/COO of Merit Street Media.
As of today, PBR (Professional Bull Riders) and television celebrity Dr. Phil McGraw will be riding alongside each other — so to speak. No, Dr. Phil will not be in the chutes anytime soon, but his company Merit Street Media along with CBS sports will now be broadcasting more than 300 hours of PBR related programming starting in July. This announcement was made at McGraw’s studios in the AllianceTexas development in North Fort Worth today, which launched nationally in April to over 80 million homes.
This fully distributed, cable, satellite, and free over-the-air broadcast media brand is extending its programming to offer sports in the form of exclusive PBR-related content. This means PBR fans will have the opportunity to watch “the most live” bull riding television coverage and shoulder programming in the sport’s history. Sitting alongside McGraw during this announcement to his right was PBR CEO and commissioner Sean Gleason. To McGraw’s left was Joel Cheatwood, EVP/COO of Merit Street Media. Combined the three seemed very eager to make this announcement public.
“It's a perfect match and we want to take this to a whole new level … creating an immersive experience learning about the rider, learning about their goals, learning about their family,” McGraw says.
Another aspect exclusive to this partnership is a six-part two-hour series of the WRWC (Women’s Rodeo World Championship), which will air through Merit’s partnership with the PBR. Starting next month, Merit Street will carry PBR Teams events; the full schedule for PBR Unleash The Beast, the sport’s premier individual competition series; and 50 episodes of PBR Now, a news, information, and analysis program.
“Accessibility is the key and we got to be where the eyeballs are,” Gleason says.
And PBR fan’s eyeballs will be right in the thick of it. According to Gleason, viewers will get a glimpse of the PBR world from behind the scenes. From its riders, to its bulls, this programming is set to be the most comprehensive of its kind in PBR sports history.
“Making every ride, every round, and every event available live to fans is a game changer for PBR," Gleason says. "CBS continues to give us the broadest reach possible for our most premium content, while Merit Street is making PBR the anchor of their sports coverage."
According to a release, RidePass, PBR’s Western Sports and Lifestyle channel on PlutoTV, will move to Merit+, the free streaming and VOD destination of Dr. Phil’s Merit Street network. Due to this new agreement, CBS Sports and the PBR will continue their partnership through 2030, which includes PBR events being broadcast on CBS and Paramount +. This maneuver will increase PBR coverage to 25 hours a year.
“I can’t think of any better way for Merit Street to begin sports programming than with PBR,” McGraw says. “Coming from Texas, I know how important this sport is to the state and to see it grow across this country has been both exciting and deserving.”
