PBR Goes Exclusive on Paramount+–And Fans Immediately Buck the Move
Picture courtesy of: PBR/Paramount+The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) made a central broadcast pivot this morning, announcing that its Unleash The Beast 2026 season will stream exclusively on Paramount+. PBR will join its sister company, UFC, on the platform starting Friday, December 12, 2025, marking the beginning of the new season in its new digital home.
But, almost like clockwork, disgruntled fans quickly took PBR to task across every social media channel, voicing their loud displeasure over the tour’s shift to the new digital home. They immediately accused the league of prioritizing money over its fan base and only looking for a quick cash grab. While revenue is undeniably essential for any growing business and sports league, those who are quick to dismiss this pivot are potentially missing the forest for the trees.
Fans often say, “The Cowboys deserve to get paid more,” or something similar. Yet, when the organization takes a significant step toward that goal, the immediate response is to label them sellouts. This new five-year partnership with Paramount+ is precisely the kind of move required to ensure riders get a shot at bigger, more consistent paydays, building on the multi-million-dollar prize pools PBR has consistently expanded in recent years.
Beyond the existing “Game of the Week” that continues to air on CBS, this Paramount+ partnership primarily resolves the fan-weary issue of broadcast fragmentation. We saw this chaos most recently with PBR Camping World Teams Series, which forced fans to chase live events across Friday nights on FOX Nation, and Saturday/Sunday broadcasts on networks CBS and or The CW, whose own streaming and replay options can be frustratingly limited. Crucially, the five-year deal ensures that all Unleash The Beast events are centralized on Paramount+. This move delivers a dedicated, high-quality, “one-stop shop” streaming experience for the premier tour.
The immediate impact of this centralization is audience growth, which has steadily grown year over year, and greater accessibility. By moving the premier Unleash The Beast tour to a dedicated, easily navigated platform like Paramount+, PBR removes significant barriers for casual fans, making it simple to discover the sport and catch up on missed events. Crucially, this strategy maximizes synergy with the broader TKO/Paramount ecosystem, allowing PBR to market to the established, engaged audience of other combat sports—such as the UFC—who are already streaming on the platform. Ultimately, shifting PBR’s most competitive series into a premium, centralized hub is designed not just to retain existing fans but to attract a younger, digitally native viewership looking for high-octane content without the hassle of fragmented channels.
This strategic alignment and expected viewership boost directly translate into increased revenue streams for the league, ultimately benefiting the cowboys. Higher engagement and centralized viewing data make PBR a more valuable property for sponsors and advertisers. This robust economic foundation ensures the sustainability of the multi-million dollar prize pools PBR has been building in recent years, directly fulfilling the fan sentiment that “the cowboys deserve to get paid more” by securing bigger and more consistent paydays across the tour.
So what says you? Are you excited for the start of the 2026 Unleash The Beast Series to debut on Paramount+ on Friday, December 12, 2025? It’s almost time to Unleash the Beast!