Oilers Entertainment Group has "informed the rodeo cowboys negotiating committee they will not submit a bid" to keep the Canadian Finals Rodeo in Edmonton at Rogers Place, according to Terry Jones of the EDMONTON SUN. OEG in November lost "what is believed to be somewhere between" C$500,000-1M "promoting a Global Cup PBR bull riding event to run in conjunction" with the agricultural show Farm Fair. Now OEG has also "decided not to return with that component." OEG has "plans to build a western lifestyle event to complement Farm Fair at Northlands." Expectations are the CFR will "hold its 45th edition next year in either Red Deer or Saskatoon." While many "expected OEG to keep the PBR and try to grow that, the bottom line spoke there as well." OEG CEO & Vice Chair Bob Nicholson said, "We’re still talking to PBR about some opportunities as we will continue to talk to rodeo about other opportunities but it won’t be in the November window. We know what we lost last year with PBR and we are not going to go down that financial path again. Our crowds weren’t very good" (EDMONTON SUN, 1/9).
