After a one-year hiatus, the PBR (Professional Bull Riders) will return to the Talking Stick Resort Arena – formerly US Airways Center – showcasing the toughest men on dirt as they take on the rankest bucking bulls in the business during the Phoenix Invitational on March 5-6, part of the 2016 Built Ford Tough Series (BFTS) season.
From riveting 8-second rides to daunting heart-stopping wrecks, Phoenix fans will enjoy two hours of non-stop action as the stars of the PBR, the Top 35 bull riders in the world, risk their lives against 2,000-pound opponents to earn their piece of the $140,000 total purse.
The event will begin at 7 p.m. on Saturday, March 5, and at 2 p.m. on Sunday, March 6. Tickets start at $15 and go on sale today, at the Talking Stick Resort Arena box office, www.Ticketmaster.com, and by telephone at (800) 745-3000. For more information visit www.pbr.com.
Phoenix fans will have a chance to purchase the newly-created PBR Elite Seats VIP Experience, as well. For only $450, fans will receive premium seats in an exclusive section of the arena immediately next to the bucking chutes and all of the action. They’ll be given the VIP experience of a lifetime, including early entry; a pre-event reception with refreshments, a 60-minute backstage tour by a PBR Host, featuring a PBR 101 presentation and visit with the sports’ rankest bulls; meet-and-greets with the PBR’s exclusive entertainer Flint Rasmussen; and the opportunity for photos and autographs from top PBR athletes. These tickets can also be purchased through Ticketmaster or by calling the PBR office at 800-732-1727 for more information.
With a purchase of a PBR ticket, everyone is also encouraged to utilize the METRO Light Rail as round-trip travel is included with all tickets purchased to events at the Talking Stick Resort Arena.
In 2014, then-reigning PBR World Champion J.B. Mauney went 3-for-3 on the weekend to win the Phoenix Invitational, his second of the season. Mauney will return to Phoenix in 2016, once again as the reigning PBR World Champion after winning his second world title in 2015.
In addition to World Champions Silvano Alves (2011, 2012, 2014) and Mike Lee (2004), 2015 Rookie of the Year Kaique Pacheco and fan favorites Matt Triplett, Gage Gay and Reese Cates will also compete.
The PBR’s Top 35 bull riders will ride one bull each in Rounds 1 and 2 on Saturday and Sunday. After Round 2 on Sunday, the riders’ individual scores will be totaled and the Top 15 riders will advance to the Built Ford Tough Championship Round for one more ride and a chance at the $30,000 event title.
The Phoenix Invitational is the ninth stop on the 2016 BFTS schedule. The season will conclude at the PBR Built Ford Tough World Finals in Las Vegas on Nov. 2-6 at the new Las Vegas Arena when the 2016 PBR World Champion, the bull rider who earns the most points during the 2016 season, will be crowned and receive the coveted World Championship belt buckle and a $1 million bonus.
The BFTS is televised every week on CBS, CBS Sports Network – the home of the PBR and networks around the world. BFTS telecasts are produced for the PBR under a multi-year agreement with David Neal Productions, a Los Angeles-based production company led by 34-time Emmy® Award winner and Peabody Award winner David Neal, who serves as executive producer.
