Dr. Phil Rides the Bull: Merit Street Media Makes a Big Bet on PBR
For a professional sport to truly be considered Top Tier, its televised events need to be live. Sports as all the numbers have shown, is the only appointment viewing opportunity left in broadcast media, this side of a reality show final or the occasional awards show. The rest we can bank and watch on demand.
Though it has done an admirable job placing its narrative in earned media, selling out arenas coast to coast, and drawing corporate partners, including Anheuser-Busch announced this past January at a packed Madison Square Garden, one thing has always kept PBR out of the elite conversation: most of its events have been available to fans on tape delay.
For fans on social media, the consequent spoilers have led to widespread frustration.
Additionally, the bull riding schedule was a hodge podge of varying start times. And cable events weren’t available on a live stream. Fans were confused when and where to watch.
PBR has found a solution in landmark rights deals that keep the sport on CBS Television Network through 2030 with 25 hours of annual events on its flagship broadcast network and Paramount+ while moving the lion’s share of events that had been on CBS Sports Network to Merit Street Media, Dr. Phil McGraw’s new network now in 80 million homes following its April launch and offering all programming on a free app.
In Merit’s first sports, but probably not last, rights deal, every ride carried will be live and available on all platforms simultaneously, including the Merit+ app.
“We’re going to be live and consistent,” Mark Shapiro, President and COO of Endeavor and TKO told Sportico. “That’s been our biggest challenge.”
To help those fans perpetually confused about how, when, and where to watch, the events will easily be found in consistent, dedicated broadcast windows (to be announced) on Friday and Saturday night, and Sunday afternoon.
In an interview with the Dallas Morning News McGraw said, “The alignment between who the PBR’s fan base is in middle America with down-to earth family values is what we’re focused on. They embrace the same values that we do. (PBR has) a marquee sport that is just going vertical. It’s a rocket ship. So, it’s the perfect match. We want to take this to a whole new level of creating an immersive experience.”
McGraw, who called PBR “the heart and soul of America,” is putting his airtime where his mouth is. Merit Street Television will carry more than 300 hours of total original PBR content annually, which include plans for pre- and post-game shows and 50 annual episodes of PBR Now, a news and analysis show.
The new deal officially hits the airwaves in July with the third season of the PBR Teams league – five-on-five bull riding games among 10 teams – including one in Brooklyn following expansion – in a 10-event season heading toward a Championship at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas.
PBR says that Merit’s commitment to make every ride, round, and event available live to fans is a game changer in turbocharging exposure for a sport unfamiliar to many, while CBS still offers broad reach on a venerable sports platform. More than doubling their media rights fees, to more than $30 million annually, according to Sportico, isn’t bad for the Endeavor-owned organization, either.
Merit, which tends to skew toward older females – the core audience of America’s favorite therapist – will focus on leveraging PBR to draw a younger audience, especially the hotly-desired young male demo.
A network named “Merit” pairing with perhaps the most meritocratic sport – cowboys who don’t hang on for eight seconds are not paid – seems a strong pairing.
Merit has already been vigorously covering the stories of the intrepid cowboys and hard-working salt-of-the-earth people who raise the bulls on its 2-hour “Morning on Merit Street” news and lifestyle show.
How Nancy Grace covers bull riding is a mystery, but we are hearing she’ll be at the Teams event in Duluth, one of the coming season’s two-neutral site events (July 26-28).
In an interview, Dr. Phil joked he wanted to put Steve Harvey on a bull, and Steve responded he wasn’t about to spend his remaining years drinking out of a straw to promote the new partner.
Right now, Merit’s top talent are showing all indications they’re jacked to be promoting their first live sport. Like most things in business, success is now all a matter of execution.
As the Netflixes and Amazon Primes of the world get involved in live sports, what Dr. Phil does in riding the bull is another fascinating sports story to watch.
Sometimes “Viral Moments Fail,” Sometimes You “Bring YA A$$”
It’s with a sense of joy and happiness that I applaud those individuals who spent hours and hours of planning, coordinating, and shoot just plain ole “Getting it done”! The PBR with the addition of Merit Street Television to televise live coverage of PBR events thus enabling every modern country of the world to tune into the live action. Putting the emphasis on a World renowned event. Might get the Mongolian, Asian, and Chnese Cowboys to kick loose of riding those oxen, water buffalo and compete on some real bucking bulls. Just think of the rookie race then. Shoot maybe new bloodlines for the bovine athletes too. Seems to me it’s just another day at the office. But in retrospect sure going to cut down on the jabs, cursing, and slams on social media.
I for one will enthusiastically be finding me a better phone for watching through the Merit Street App. Which I found on Google Play installed all ready to go. There’s one thing that I have to say. This all being news to me, but seeing Dr Phil in the camera as often as he was at the World Finals my first thought was ” Oh no there’s no dang way Dr Phil’s going to be analyzing the mentality or the breeding of these contestants. First off 99% of them wouldn’t get involved. Secondly, being a third generation cowboy and winning a few buckles myself a while back the desire to ride bulls or any bucking stock develops in your gut, the fear, danger, or degree of difficulty is the fire that fuels the passion and devotion. The discipline, dedication, and training coupled with learning chute procedures, the adrenaline pump and thrill of the ride be it 2 seconds or 8 seconds, the dismount and getting clear quickly and safely begins the addiction which returns to hotter and bolder fuels for the passion. Then it’s all over your hooked, can’t get on enough bullshit for practice. There’s no discounting the mentors or parents etc for sure. Like the KC Outlaws slogan “All Grit No Quit” to get better you gotta train, practice, train some more ride ride ride. Getting one rode is the reward but honestly the feeling you get from making the whistle one time is spectacular. Next time more so gaining confidence, experience, skill.
This is my opinion and personal experience. Others may vary but tell ya what you watch guys that have retired from competition their making every move for move the bulls making it’s like you’ve been branded can’t get rid of the feeling the grit adrenaline thrill pride sticks with you for life !
So with that my hats off to the PBR CBS sports & newly acquired Merit Street for the opportunity to continue reliving those younger years over and over. Thank you very much.
J A Huston