Fox Nation, Latest Streamer to Tap Sports, Strikes Alliance With Professional Bull Riders

Fox Nation has in the recent past been known best for lifestyle programming for conservative set, offering everything from nature documentaries to Clint Eastwood movies. Now it’s testing something new: sports.

Starting Friday, August 8th, Fox Nation will offer “PBR Friday Night Live” from Professional Bull Riders, and will over the course of ten weeks will offer team event from across the country. Fox Nation is a sibling of cable’s Fox News Channel, but this new pact shows the growing interest streamers of all sorts are showing in sports, one of the last programming formats that can lure a broad, live, simultaneous audience in an era when more people are gravitating to streaming their video favorites on demand, at times of their own choosing.

“We could not ask for a better partner to kick off our first foray into live sports. PBR is an incredibly unique sport with an unrivaled, passionate fan base, and it’s a great addition to the entire Fox Nation viewer experience,” said Lauren Petterson, president of Fox Nation, in a statement.

As part of the pact, Fox Nation will roll out season two of “Last Cowboy Standing” starting Friday, July 11. Over ten weekly episodes, eight amateur bull riders compete in a series of rides and one-of-a-kind challenges in a bid to gain entrance into the individual bull riding competition, Unleash the Beast, and the opportunity to join a PBR team. Viewers get behind the scenes access inside their journey as riders attempt to avoid elimination until there is one final winner. 

“We’re thrilled to build on our strong partnership with Fox Nation to deliver live coverage of Friday Night Teams and the second season of Last Cowboy Standing,”: said Sean Gleason, PBR Commissioner and CEO, in a statement. A previous showing of “Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo” on May 16 performed well on Fox Nation, he says, and proves “their devoted audience is eager for exciting Western sports content.”

PBR features more than 1,000 bull riders competing in over 200 events annually. The organization lured 1.43 million fans to its events in 2024. Its PBR Teams format, launched in July 2022, stages events in head-to-head matchups in a tournament-style format. In five-on-five games, the team with the highest aggregate score of qualified rides among its riders is declared the winner.