ARLINGTON, Tex. (December 12, 2023) – In response to the rising popularity of Western sports, Teton Ridge announces a new three-year rights deal with FOX Sports for the popular tournament and grand finale of Western sports events. The action culminates March 8 – 9 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas, and will be broadcast on FOX on Saturday, March 16 at 1:30 PM ET.
In addition to covering The American Rodeo Championship on FOX, FS1 will bring fans The American Contender Tournament Regional Finals and Finals competitions throughout January and February 2024, providing fans with the opportunity to cheer on the Contender athletes as they try to punch their ticket to the Crown Jewel of Rodeo in Arlington, Texas. FS1 will also televise The American Performance Horseman action from Globe Life Field in March giving western performance horse sports more national visibility than ever before.
“Western sports are rising in popularity, lending to growth opportunities for scaling audiences, and Teton Ridge is dedicated to making western culture, lifestyle and sports accessible to more people than ever before,” said Deirdre Lester, Chief Executive Officer of Teton Ridge. “The three-year commitment FOX Sports has made to The American Western sports will provide fans and viewers at home with new ways to experience the American West.”
The American Western Weekend Television Schedule
- The American Contender Regional Finals and National Final on FS1
- West Regional Final Sunday, Jan 14 at 12:30 PM ET-2:30 PM ET on FS1
- Central Regional Final Sunday, Jan 21 at 10:00 AM ET-12:00 PM ET on FS1
- Eastern Regional Final Sunday, Jan 28 at 10:00 AM ET-12:00 PM ET on FS1
- National Final Sunday, Feb 11 at 10:30 AM ET-12:30 PM ET on FS1
- The American Performance Horseman Show Saturday, March 16th at 11:30 AM ET-1:00 PM ET on FS1
- The American Rodeo Championship on Saturday, March 16th at 1:30 PM ET-3:30 PM ET on FOX
“FOX Sports is thrilled to add western sports to our extensive lineup,” said Bill Wanger, Executive Vice President, Head of Programming and Scheduling at FOX Sports. “We believe that adding FOX Sports’ reach to western sports will help bring the action to a whole new level.”
Rodeo and Western sports are on the rise as demonstrated by record attendance at The American Western Weekend in March 2023 with over 42,000 seats at Globe Life Field in addition to web search data that indicates that a record-breaking 100,000 searches of the word “rodeo” peaked during The American Western Weekend in March 2023.
Acquired by Teton Ridge in late 2021 and celebrating it’s 10th year in 2023, The American Rodeo features competitors in all eight traditional rodeo disciplines. Fans can root for the underdog “Contenders” chasing a
$1 million bonus or the professional athletes defending their champion status in the ultimate showdown.
Returning from its debut during The American Western Weekend in 2023, The American Performance Horseman is a groundbreaking event which features the Top 5 professionals from the National Reined Cow Horse Association (NRCHA), National Cutting Horse Association (NCHA) and National Reining Horse Association (NRHA) . The first-of-its-kind competitive exhibition format fuses the elements of history and competition in an ode to the past, present, and future of western performance horse sports.
Visit www.americanrodeo.com.
About The American Western Weekend Rodeo:
The American Western Weekend March 8th & 9th, 2024 at Globe Life Field in Arlington, Texas features action-packed entertainment, world-class talent and western sports that culminates with The American Rodeo. Hailed as The Crown Jewel of Rodeo™, The American Rodeo is an unrivaled celebration of the pioneering spirit of the American West. The national sporting event offers fans a unique choice – to cheer on western sports’ finest, champion athletes, or root for the underdog “Contenders” chasing a $1 million bonus – through every rodeo, roping and riding effort. Added to the festival line-up in 2023, The American Performance Horseman brings together the western equine sports disciplines of reining, reined cow horse and cutting for a $1 million prize. All combined with star-studded music, a western festival and more. For more information on The American Western Weekend, please visit americanrodeo.com or @TheAmerican.TR on Instagram @TheAmericanTR on Facebook and Twitter.
About Teton Ridge:
Teton Ridge is the first omnichannel brand focused on multiple facets of the American West. Its portfolio of brands is comprised of Western- focused properties in the sports, media, entertainment, lifestyle, and equine spaces. Teton Ridge’s mission is to preserve and enhance the ethos of the iconic American West by bringing these offerings to a broader audience in modern, authentic ways. For more information, please see www.tetonridge.com, or follow along on Facebook and Instagram.
