
A Whole New Bull-Game: PBR Teams Series Calls for New Production Technology, Storytelling Strategy The live broadcast now mirrors the in-venue production with the same on-air talent for both By Jason Dachman, Chief Editor
Thursday, August 18, 2022 - 2:33 pm
Print This Story | Subscribe
Story Highlights
With the launch of the PBR Team Series last month, an entirely new five-on-five bull riding format has changed the face of the sport. And with that new format comes a brand-new look and feel for both the broadcast and the in-venue show - complete with a new state-of-the art in-arena experience, as well as new cameras, graphics, and audio elements for the broadcast.
Photo by Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media.
This has been a one-on-one sport for almost 30 years and now it's about teams; that changes the entire story, says Robby Greene, who oversees TV and production for PBR. The camaraderie and team spirit adds a whole new level to the story. To watch teammates and coaches on the back of these bucking shoots pulling for the guy out there [riding] is really special to watch. So I'm really excited to present that to our audience in a new and totally different way.
After debuting at the outdoor Cheyenne Frontier Days on July 25-26, the PBR Team went into full swing with indoor events at arenas Kansas City and Anaheim followed by Nashville this weekend as part of the 11-event regular season with championship weekend in Las Vegas in November. All PBR Team Series events are being broadcast on either the CBS Television Network or CBS Sports Network or streamed live on Paramount+ or PBR RidePass on Pluto TV.
Best of Both Worlds: Melding the Broadcast and In-Venue Shows From an operations standpoint, the live broadcast now mirrors the in-venue show with the same talent heard in the arena and on television (as opposed to two independent shows for PBR's primary Unleash the Beast series).
Photo by Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
Over the years, people at our live events have always told us I wish I could hear the television commentators while I'm in arena' and then people watching on television at home say, I wish I could see and hear more of what going on [in the arena].' Says Greene. So we're trying to give everybody the best of both worlds by combining these two distinctly different shows and making it one product.
As part of this single-show mentality, the CBS TV broadcast desk, captained by Kate Harrison, is located front and center in the middle of the bucking chutes rather than in a traditional announce booth. In addition, CBS has embedded sideline reporters Allen Bestwick and Matt West and dedicated cameras to each team's bucking chute - similar to coverage of dugouts in baseball broadcasts. All of these elements will also be incorporated into the in-venue videoboard show, bringing fans in the stands and at home closer to the action than ever before.
We're definitely still learning, but we're just so excited to be able to provide that same perspective to both the spectator that bought a ticket [at the venue] or that's watching at home, says Greene. We can now offer that perspective now from the entire talent team - both in arena and television. Is it perfect? Not yet. But is it a product that we're proud of? Absolutely. And we're getting better every week.
Inside the Arena: Big-Time Videoboard, Lighting, and Audio Upgrades The in-venue Teams Series experience is almost unrecognizable compared to a traditional PBR event, including PBR's largest-ever main video board, a state-of-the-art theatrical lighting system, and a drastically enhanced sound system.
Arena, Opening during the 2nd day of Anaheim California PBR Teams event. Photo by Josh Homer/Bull Stock Media.
The new center-hung videoboard measures 55 feet wide by 30 feet tall and is comprised of nearly 5 million individual LEDs. In addition, 400 linear feet of reinforced face LED signage surround the entire arena, replacing the traditional printed signage tacked to the fences that bulls would sometimes tear down.
The in-venue experience also features nearly 300 individual lighting elements, including beams, strobes, spotlights, moving head fixtures, fixed and flashing lights. This significantly boosts the drama-factor inside the arena compared to previous PRB events, which relied heavily on each venue's house lighting.
On the audio side, a new sounds system equipped with 56 line-array speakers and eight subwoofers delivers 512,000-watts of sound amplification. PBR has also invested in state-of-the-art sound reinforcement technology to improve sound levels and clarity everywhere in the arena. Dan Hickman, head of production for PBR, told the Wrangler Network that the system (developed by a German audio company specializing in high-end concert audio) dramatically improves sound clarity and will allow his team to digitally steer sound away from areas the TV booth and other areas that require quiet.
Photo by Andy Watson / Bull Stock Media
A total of 15 semi-trucks are required to transport all this gear from venue to venue each week - not counting trailers and trucks to bring in an average of 90 bulls to each 3-day homestand as well as 750 tons of dirt.
The addition, 30 seats on a new deck above the bucking chutes will put VIP guests virtually on top of the action, while another 18 Dirt Suites are located in the end zone area opposite the bucking chutes. Greene says the in-venue show now feels more like a high-profile title fight or WWE show than a rodeo.
I think I underestimated just how big the wow' factor would be at one of these PBR Teams events, he says. I just sit back in awe of what has been created in the arena with these 360-degree LED video boards, the new sound system, the new people-pin structure, and the concert stage. If you didn'
Most recent headlines
05/01/2027
Worlds first 802.15.4ab-UWB chip verified by Calterah and Rohde & Schwarz to be ...
06/09/2026
June 9 2026, 23:00 (PDT) Dolby and MagentaTV Bring Fans Closer to the FIFA Worl...
04/08/2026
Dalet, a leading technology and service provider for media-rich organizations, t...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Riedel Communications and ARRI played a key role in one of the most technically ambitious Eurovision Song Contest productions to date. For the first time in the...
07/07/2026
Berklee Valencia Honors Eric Whitacre at the 2026 Commencement Ceremony The Grammy-winning composer was celebrated alongside this years cohort of masters degr...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
The appointment will drive growth and innovation across the Media Business Unit
Fincons Group, a leading IT business consultancy and systems integrator company...
07/07/2026
International broadcast and streaming expert Big Blue Marble has announced a multi-month Proof of Concept (PoC) for Media over QUIC (MoQ) during a major interna...
07/07/2026
Test & measurement innovator, Leader Electronics of Europe, is proud to announce that two of its leading products, the PHABRIX Qx rasterizer and LeaderPhabrix L...
07/07/2026
Clear-Com announced that Ross Production Services (RPS), a leading provider of mobile production solutions for live events and broadcasts, has standardized on ...
07/07/2026
LiveU redefined live newsgathering with the invention of cellular bonding. At IBC2026, Stand 7.C24, the company will show how that foundation is evolving into t...
07/07/2026
LucidLink, a leader in cloud-based file services for content creators, today announced an enhanced workflow integration between LucidLink and Adobe Frame.io tha...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
Share
Copy link
Facebook
X
Linkedin
Bluesky
Email...
07/07/2026
New appointments to Screen Australia board 7 July 2026
The Albanese Labor Government has made new appointments to the Screen Australia board.
Dr Tania Chamber...
07/07/2026
The right team. The right time.' How The Killings at Parrish Station stuck t...
07/07/2026
Berklee College of Music Alum and Faculty Perform at Boston Public Library's...
07/07/2026
To Whom It Concerns RT today confirmed that Patrick Kielty is to extend his contract as host of The Late Late Show.
Last season, the world's longest-runn...
07/07/2026
Max single-threaded CPUs at scale are a new category of CPUs built for the agentic AI era.
Across the creation and deployment of an agentic system, the CPU is...
07/07/2026
Scripps Research scientists train the immune system to make antibodies against numerous HIV strains Preclinical findings mark progress toward a long-sought vacc...
06/07/2026
Long-developed relationships and informal access, three production models, and c...
06/07/2026
The deal follows Lumine's recent acquisition of Synamedia's video-networ...
06/07/2026
This former SportsCenter producer is shaping local-team studio coverage to surro...
06/07/2026
IMS Productions and FOX Sports deployed more than 100 cameras, 32 onboard feeds,...
06/07/2026
Lumine Group Inc. has announced the completion of its acquisition of the Video Network Business from Synamedia. The business will operate as a standalone compan...
06/07/2026
NASCAR has announced a content and commercial partnership with Motorsport Network, a motorsports and automotive media platform, to distribute NASCAR original co...
06/07/2026
Versant Media Group has announced a definitive agreement to acquire Full Swing, a sports technology company, from Bruin Capital and a group of minority investor...
06/07/2026
DAZN has announced global broadcast rights to 3ICE, a professional hockey format featuring three skaters and a goalkeeper per side, with no power plays or offsi...
06/07/2026
Bundle gains 100 new synths & more
Synth Anthology 5 the largest and most feature-packed edition of UVI's hardware synth emulation bundle, bringing toge...
06/07/2026
Available now via free firmware update
MOTU have just announced that three of their popular audio interfaces now boast official Milan Certification. The 16A...
06/07/2026
Rohde & Schwarz completes Hunter Preliminary Design Review for the Integrated Co...
06/07/2026
The R&S IMAGER from Rohde & Schwarz uses millimeter wave imaging to inspect the ...
06/07/2026
The National Film and Video Foundation (NFVF), an agency of the Department of Sp...
06/07/2026
Digital Domain Appoints Industry Veteran Patrick Davenport as Executive Vice Pre...
06/07/2026
Gravity Media USA appoints Brittney Boston as Head of Business Development
Brie Clayton July 6, 2026
0 Comments
The strategic new appointment supports...
06/07/2026
Remote Editing Without Cloud Storage in Resolve
Michael Cioni July 6, 2026
0 Comments
This is a step-by-step guide that demonstrates how to setup your...
06/07/2026
Automatic Caption Translation in Adobe Premiere Pro
Colin Smith July 6, 2026
0 Comments
Here I showcase the innovative automatic caption translation f...
06/07/2026
Flavor's First Ever Managing Director Neal Cohen Retires; Longstanding Execu...
06/07/2026
How Adam Rosenwach Pivoted from Music to Medtech Without Missing a Beat What do the rehearsal room and the boardroom have in common? More than you might think...
06/07/2026
Zhongyi Optics unveils the Dreamy Zone T1 FF Cine Lens Series on Indiegogo with ...
06/07/2026
Open source AI has shown how quickly developers can innovate when models, data a...
06/07/2026
Techtel debuts insyght: making ST 2110 media discovery easy
intellisphereinsyght2026
6 July Written By Suzanne Costello
Sydney, Australia - 06 July 2026 T...