Jim Haworth
America’s original extreme sport is a hot commodity and getting hotter.
In 1995, the Colorado-based Professional Bull Riders Inc.’s live events attracted 310,000 fans; today, that number has increased almost fivefold.
Owned by 44 cowboys, management and Spire Capital, the PBR now encompasses more than 1,200 bull riders from the U.S., Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico who compete in more than 300 bull-riding events annually.
With the growing media attention and fans, it’s evident that the sport of professional bull riding has been elevated, and the PBR has been leading the way.
Its international primetime programming has reached more than 500 million households, while close to two million fans have attended its Built Ford Tough Series and Touring Pro Division live events, held at venues around the country from January to October.
As the PBR celebrates its 20th year, Venues Today checks in with its CEO and Chairman Jim Haworth about recent developments, how far the organization has come in the last two decades and where he plans on leading it.
What is your background and what do you bring to the table as CEO and chairman of the PBR?
When I first joined PBR, I had an extensive background in retail. I worked my way up to COO at Wal-Mart, where I worked for 20 years. I also served as president of retail for both Sears and K-Mart and ran a retailer in Shanghai, China, for five years. But I’ve always had an interest in the western lifestyle and have been a PBR fan since the late 90s. In 2005, I was an advisor for Randy Bernard, the PBR’s former CEO and, just over two years ago, I was approached to take over the organization.
How do you see the PBR’s future playing out?
As we look at the next 20 years, there are four aspects we will consider. First, in terms of rider development and our bovine athletes, we have to make sure we have riders capable of handling these bulls. This will be critical for us and the stars we create. The second consideration is promoting the exciting live-event experience, which is why we work well in different venues throughout the country. We need to take a close look at how people utilize apps and our content and how we can build this content to the next level. For example, people want to see more information and statistics, even as they are watching a live event. Our development of this is critical to growth. The third aspect is digital media and television. With the consumption changing so much in the last five years, we need to consider the evolution of how content is shared. The last consideration is international growth. As we continue expanding around the globe, we will determine where we can take the live experience of professional bull riding. We’re very fortunate to have passionate fans and sponsors around the world that support us. This has been what has made us a success for the last 20 years and what will set us up for the next 20. We’re excited for the future.
Your organization has expanded significantly in the past two decades. What are the different facets of PBR?
It’s a sports property first and foremost, with man against beast. In our sport, we have two great athletes competing — the riding athlete and the animal or bovine athlete. What’s interesting is that both have a following. Our number one bull, Bushwacker, was recently featured in ESPN magazine as having the baddest body in sports. He weighs in at 1,700 pounds and has a 40-inch vertical leap comparable to NBA player LeBron James. Man against beast is the sport property, and we consider ourselves the original extreme sport. In addition, our partnership with CBS and CBS Sports has helped us build content and bring exposure to a lot more fans.
How has the PBR played a part in the evolution of professional bull riding?
We have had a great year in terms of our increasing exposure. For rounds that are not covered on network television, we’ve introduced broadcasts on our Live Event Center and through a partnership with YouTube to help increase viewership. Bushwacker was featured on ESPN’s E60 sporting news show, which compared him athletically to sports legends Mohammed Ali, Michael Jordan and Tiger Woods. Author Nicholas Sparks’ newest book, The Longest Ride, centered on a PBR bull rider. It just broke as number one on the New York Times bestseller list and has received a green light as a movie in 2015.
With professional bull riding drawing larger audiences, describe how PBR has adapted to meet this growth.
Not only have we evolved as a sport, but we also have expanded in terms of the venues and markets we go to. Years ago, our competitions would take place in small markets, like Del Rio, Texas. This season, we will go to venues like New York’s Madison Square Garden, Chicago’s Allstate Arena and Dallas’ AT&T Stadium. We’ve sold out three nights in a row at Madison Square Garden.
How has the increasing popularity of the sport impacted sponsorship opportunities?
With increased exposure in cities like New York, Los Angeles, Chicago and Seattle, we’re drawing a broader fan base compared with 10 years ago. This is why we’re getting attention from a wider selection of sponsors. New sponsors like Monster Energy Drink and Kawasaki Motors are getting on board. We’re also fortunate that our marquee sponsor is Ford.
This sport has become increasingly competitive over the years. Have there been changes in terms of the bulls with regards to breeding?
Years ago, rodeo bucking bulls were rogue bulls that people just happened to run across. Now there has been an evolution of breeding programs that produce great animal athletes. We’re starting to see the result of lineages, genomics and breeding programs, which are more sophisticated than a decade ago. This has produced great animal athletes. For example, Bushwacker’s dad was a great PBR bull.
Can you discuss how rider payouts have increased in this sport?
The PBR has paid out $130 million over its lifespan. This year alone, we’ll pay out almost $10 million to rider athletes in prize money, and there are sponsorship opportunities, as well. Our world champion will win a $1-million bonus. We’re also paying out $2 million to animal athlete owners.
What are the different ways you are advertising and promoting your events?
Our revenue has increased eight percent this past season. Because we’re a national sport, traveling from city to city throughout the year, we’re more specific with our marketing. We’ve seen tremendous growth in social media. We will have close to 1 million Facebook followers worldwide this year, with 700,000 followers just in the U.S. This is a big increase compared with 2011, when we had 100,000 total Facebook followers.
Describe your merchandise program and how this has expanded.
Our per caps are strong. We sell PBR-specific merchandise at each event that includes rider and bull T-shirts, belt buckles and caps, among other items. Bushwacker and Buck Dynasty merchandise are popular as well as our athlete apparel. We also have an online presence, where people can purchase our merchandise, in addition to partnerships with retailers, including Wal-Mart and western retailer Boot Barn, which sell some of our items.
What have been the biggest challenges the PBR has faced and overcome?
Any business has to undergo growing pains. A couple of years ago, we thought about splitting our television package between CBS and NBC, but realized this would confuse our fans who were looking for our content. As a result, we partnered with CBS, and this has worked out very well for us. Like all businesses, we are looking for ways to grow. International growth will be good for us in the future, so we are looking at different cultures and other countries that can support our business.
Contact: (719) 242-2850