PBR Teams New Era Begins at Freedom Days

Daniel Keeping, who will be riding for the league-leading (4-1) Texas Rattlers in Friday’s second game against the Carolina Cowboys, nearly became “last cowboy standing” in Season 1 in 2023.  That caught the eye of head coach Cody Lambert, and the throwback cowboy was drafted.  

Smart man that Cody Lambert. 

Inside T-Mobile Arena, Keeping, who resonates Lewis-and-Clark toughness and grit without trying, knocked down the championship-winning ride for the Rattlers in 2024 with perhaps the greatest ever, Jose Vitor Leme, awaiting his closing turn across the arena. Keeping made sure Leme couldn’t pull off the dream-script heroics everyone expected.

To PBR’s delight, there’s been ample promotion for the sport across Fox, continuing Friday morning with Abby Hornacek set to go live from Amerant Bank Arena for “Fox & Friends.” 

Friday night, Fox Nation will host and stream a concert with country music artist Chris Janson to kick off Freedom Days. Lawence Jones, a rising star as comfortable in a US Border Patrol bulletproof vest as on the white couch in New York, will be featured.

There’s been talk of Hannity in the house in South Florida. PBR is wheelhouse; the Sunshine State resident hosts a new Fox Nation series called "Wanted: Dead or Alive" focusing on legendary outlaws of the American West. Nothing could be confirmed at press time. Regardless, Hannity needs to meet Daniel Keeping who looks like a gunslinger yanked from one of those episodes.

Previously, Dana Perino went Western at PBR, Fox & Friends hosts rode a mechanical bull on the news plaza in Manhattan, and Steve Doocy got on a horse for live segments from the Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo at AT&T Stadium in May.  

How long will it be until we hear Jesse Watters ribbing Gutfeld for loving PBR because he’s the tallest guy in the locker room?

After Fox wraps on the Freedom Days opener, on Saturday at 6:30 pm, The CW launches its live PBR coverage with a new open featuring music artist HARDY and voiceover by Neal McDonough, star of “The Last Rodeo” and an avid PBR ambassador.

CW is back on the air Sunday at 2 pm for the final round of Freedom Days, the third weekend event of the 12-event regular season before the playoffs in Las Vegas in late October.   

Being on the nation’s fifth-largest network, seen in 100% of the country, is a big deal for PBR. Alongside the NASCAR Xfinity Series, weekends on The CW will be a strong destination for the passionate fan bases of two growing sports with Sunday supper heartland appeal. Fans watching NASCAR on CW last weekend from Iowa Speedway couldn’t miss the prevalent PBR promos.

To round out 8.5 hours of PBR coverage this weekend, CBS, the founding broadcast partner of PBR Teams, will broadcast a special two-hour “CBS Game of the Week” tripleheader on Sunday beginning noon eastern.     

The significance of Freedom Days 2025 is not lost on the PBR broadcast team.

“In my 20-plus years as the voice of the PBR, this is the biggest broadcast weekend the organization and sport has ever had,” said Craig Hummer, who will be calling all the action. “We as a TV team take that responsibility to heart and are eager for the opportunity to be the conduit for countless new fans.”

When Fox Nation first dipped its toe into carrying sports last May with Kid Rock’s Rock N Rodeo from AT&T Stadium, produced by PBR, it was a resounding success in driving subscriptions.  The streamer aims to sign more subscribers as the only place to see the bull riding games on Friday nights the rest of the Teams season.

Unless you’re in a seat in the arena, where Jones will be.

“I’m gonna hop on a flight after tomorrow’s show, go back to my roots,” he said on Fox News this morning. “Put my cowboy boots on, my cowboy boots, and it’s gonna be a time.”