PBR WORLD FINALS TO MOVE TO FORT WORTH IN 2022
2022 season to run January-May, concluding at Dickies Arena
FORT WORTH, Tex. (August 31, 2021) – PBR (Professional Bull Riders) has announced that bull riding’s most prestigious event, the PBR World Finals, will move to Fort Worth, Texas, and Dickies Arena starting in 2022 as part of a comprehensive schedule restructure for its premier series.
The new PBR Unleash The Beast regular season will span from January-May, culminating with a seven-day championship festival, spanning two weekends of bull riding and fan activities, in Fort Worth.
The changes will go into effect immediately after the 2021 PBR World Finals which will conclude the current season in Las Vegas, Nevada, at T-Mobile Arena Nov. 3-7.
“We were excited to host the 2020 PBR World Finals in Texas, and we are proud to now welcome the most intense bull riding competition with the most engaged fans back to the Lone Star State in the 2022 season," said Governor Greg Abbott. "Fort Worth is the Modern West, and there is no better place for the PBR World Finals to call their new long-term home. I congratulate the PBR, the City of Fort Worth, and Mayor Mattie Parker on this world champion partnership that will showcase Texas as the premier sports-entertainment destination, spur continuing tourism and travel, and bring new jobs to Fort Worth and beyond."
"This has been an incredible team effort with PBR, Governor Abbott, our Fort Worth Sports Commission and so many others,” Mayor Mattie Parker said. “Fort Worth is the gold standard for public-private partnerships and we are marshaling all our resources to roll out the red carpet for the PBR World Finals."
“This is a historic win for Fort Worth. Powered by Dickies Arena and a community committed to hospitality, we are excited to announce this latest, significant sports event for our city. Welcoming the PBR World Finals beginning in 2022 shows how Fort Worth is attracting the most exciting and important events in professional sports,” said Jason Sands, director of the Fort Worth Sports Commission, a division of Visit Fort Worth. This year the Sports Commission welcomed more than 40 events worth more than $100 million in economic impact.
“These landmark changes give the PBR season greater continuity and allow the league to hold our crown jewel, the World Finals, in the heart of cowboy country surrounded by exciting fan entertainment activities,” said Sean Gleason, PBR CEO and Commissioner. “PBR World Finals will now have a two-week presence throughout Fort Worth, making the Metroplex the must-visit, sports-entertainment destination, every May. We are ecstatic to work with our incredible partners in Fort Worth, as we usher in a new era adding to the rich history of our World Finals and continue to bring new programming to Fort Worth. We look forward to the many opportunities to grow the PBR World Finals and sport as a whole here in Texas.”
The schedule changes follow PBR’s announcement in June of a landmark joint venture with Stockyards Heritage Development Co. and ASM Global to bring dozens of annual new western sports, music and entertainment events to Cowtown Coliseum and the historic Stockyards District.
The inaugural PBR World Finals in Fort Worth will be held from May 13-22, 2022 at Dickies Arena, headlining two weeks of activities across Fort Worth.
(COURTESY: PBR)