Menu
Leagues and Governing Bodies

PBR's Haworth Discusses Injecting Creativity Into Series, Global Expansion Efforts

PBR Chair & CEO Jim Haworth said that thinking “outside the chute is how his organization needs to do business in the Twitter-Facebook-YouTube age if it hopes to continue to grow its fan base,” according to Steve Carp of the LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL. Haworth: "Somebody suggested we do a weigh-in with the bulls, and since Las Vegas is the fight capital of the world, it made sense. We can't be afraid to try different things." Carp notes the bulls entered in this week's World Finals at the Thomas & Mack Center were weighed as a “couple of hundred people” looked on. Haworth is “dedicated to growing the sport internationally,” as he wants to take the bulls “to China, to Australia, to Japan, to Europe and to other North American markets.” Selling out Madison Square Garden for three consecutive nights in early January "is nice,” but a week in Beijing, Sydney or Tokyo “is better.” Haworth said, "You want to reach your maximum potential. We happen to be in the entertainment business. Why limit ourselves?" Carp notes the PBR runs tours in five countries, with "more than 100 events and $10 million in annual prize money.” But it is the Built Ford Tough Series that is its "biggest and most visible event.” Traditionalists "think Haworth and the PBR are overdoing it.” They think there are “too many events, which means the riders have more opportunities of getting injured and not making it” to the World Finals. But Haworth counters that the series “gives riders more opportunities to make money, and the overwhelming majority of the top riders do make it” to the Finals. Haworth: "Look, you're never going to please everybody. But we're not going to jeopardize the safety of the riders or the bulls. We want to make our sport appealing to everyone" (LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL, 10/24).

SBJ Morning Buzzcast: March 25, 2024

NFL meeting preview; MLB's opening week ad effort and remembering Peter Angelos.

Big Get Jay Wright, March Madness is upon us and ESPN locks up CFP

On this week’s pod, our Big Get is CBS Sports college basketball analyst Jay Wright. The NCAA Championship-winning coach shares his insight with SBJ’s Austin Karp on key hoops issues and why being well dressed is an important part of his success. Also on the show, Poynter Institute senior writer Tom Jones shares who he has up and who is down in sports media. Later, SBJ’s Ben Portnoy talks the latest on ESPN’s CFP extension and who CBS, TNT Sports and ESPN need to make deep runs in the men’s and women's NCAA basketball tournaments.

SBJ I Factor: Nana-Yaw Asamoah

SBJ I Factor features an interview with AMB Sports and Entertainment Chief Commercial Office Nana-Yaw Asamoah. Asamoah, who moved over to AMBSE last year after 14 years at the NFL, talks with SBJ’s Ben Fischer about how his role model parents and older sisters pushed him to shrive, how the power of lifelong learning fuels successful people, and why AMBSE was an opportunity he could not pass up. Asamoah is 2021 SBJ Forty Under 40 honoree. SBJ I Factor is a monthly podcast offering interviews with sports executives who have been recipients of one of the magazine’s awards.

Shareable URL copied to clipboard!

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2012/10/24/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/PBR.aspx

Sorry, something went wrong with the copy but here is the link for you.

https://www.sportsbusinessjournal.com/Daily/Issues/2012/10/24/Leagues-and-Governing-Bodies/PBR.aspx

CLOSE