May 18, 2020

The event will be the culmination of a 40-hour televised team competition that will start June 5 in Las Vegas, where competitors will ride in an arena without fans.

The PBR Monster Energy Team Challenge will air on CBS and CBS Sports and feature 48 of the world’s top professional bull riders split into 12 teams and two divisions, facing off until two teams remain to compete for the championship.

The competitions each Friday and Saturday will be televised on CBS Sports Network with a “Game of the Week” broadcast on CBS Television Network each Sunday. Every night of competition will feature three “games,” with a head-to-head matchup of three riders from one team against three riders from another on what the PBR is calling the sport’s toughest bulls.

The first four weekends of the team challenge in Las Vegas will be closed to the public, using the safety protocols PBR debuted during three previous event weekends in April and May, including a scaled-down crew, medical testing, functional separation and social distancing.

Championship weekend in Sioux Falls will be held in front of fans each day. Tickets will be limited to 35 percent of capacity, or about 3,300. Suites and loges will be available but also will have limits on fans.

Other safety protocols include mobile ticketing, staggered POD seating, rerouted traffic flow in the arena, social distancing guidelines, enhanced disinfecting and cashless concessions options.

POD seating separates fans with a minimum 4- to 6-foot buffer between ticketed seats and minimizes the potential for crossover for fans entering and exiting their seats.

The event will include activation of ASM Global’s “Venue Shield”– an advanced environmental hygiene protocol that will be deployed in more than 325 ASM facilities around the world.

ASM Global, which manages the Denny Sanford Premier Center, is the world’s largest venue management and services company.

Venue Shield, which reduces physical touch points, increases venue sanitization and cleanliness, and provides various health monitoring guidelines and services, will be combined with PBR’s newly announced “Be Cowboy Safe” protocols for live events.

Fans will receive free facial coverings on entering the venue. Other new protocols will include:

• More efficient “top to bottom” exit following the event to reduce aisle, hallway and exit congregation.
• Mobile ticketing to replace traditional printed tickets.
• Increased reliance on cashless, contactless concessions with prepackaged food available for sale.
• Social distancing guidelines and monitoring at restroom and concession areas.
• Limiting the number of fans who may enter and occupy restrooms at any time.
• Regular medical testing/screening for all staff members as they enter the venue.

“South Dakota is working to get back to normal, and that includes the return of sports at the proper time,” Gov. Kristi Noem said in a statement.

“South Dakotans have been smart and innovative in responding to this crisis, and the plan for the Denny Sanford Premier Center shows that we can reopen arenas in safe and innovative ways. We commend ASM Global and PBR for their careful planning and will continue to work with them to ensure the safety of their fans.”

Championship weekend – a single-elimination bracket – will feature wild-card matchups on Friday, the semifinals on Saturday and Championship Sunday broadcast on CBS Television Network, with the consolation game on CBS Sports Network.

The events will start at 7:45 p.m. July 10, 6:45 p.m. July 11 and 1:45 p.m. July 12.

Tickets went on sale for PBR rewards members today and will be open to the public June 5. They start at $15 and can be purchased online or at the box office.