The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) announced today that it has severed ties with Dr. Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media, citing a breach of contract over unpaid rights fees. The decision, made just days before the PBR’s new season kicks off in Tucson, has sparked a heated dispute between the two parties, with Merit Street questioning PBR’s actions and disputing the league’s claims.
In its statement, PBR explained that Merit Street had failed to fulfill its financial obligations, leaving the league with “no choice” but to terminate the partnership. PBR further stated that it was given little time to find an alternative platform for its programming. “Merit Street’s failure to pay the rights fees owed to PBR left us with no other option,” PBR’s statement read. “We had to make this decision quickly to ensure our fans won’t miss out on our live events.”
Merit Street, on the other hand, responded with its own statement, claiming that the dispute was still part of a confidential mediation process. “PBR’s decision to go public with their accusations is premature and unwarranted,” said a company representative. “We were in active discussions, and it’s surprising that they would publicly accuse us of breaching the contract before resolving the issues through the agreed-upon process.”
The conflict centers on rights fees and the broader terms of the contractual agreement. Merit Street contends that PBR did not meet certain contractual requirements, such as fulfilling sponsorship or promotional obligations, which it claims justified withholding payments. Such disputes over rights fees often involve detailed contractual language regarding both parties’ obligations, including sponsorships, promotions, and other operational commitments. Typically, these disagreements are resolved through private negotiations or arbitration to avoid public litigation.
PBR, which launched its programming on Merit Street earlier this year, has been a key content provider for the network. According to PBR, its broadcasts accounted for a significant portion of Merit Street’s viewership, drawing 2.4 million unique viewers, with nearly 1.2 million watching PBR content exclusively. The network’s reliance on PBR’s young, engaged audience, it appears, was a major boost for the relatively new multicast television network.
Despite the split, PBR reassured its fans that they will still have access to live broadcasts of PBR events. These events, which were originally set to air on Merit Street, will now be streamed for free on platforms like RidePass on Pluto TV, PBR’s YouTube channel, its mobile app, and connected TV apps such as Apple TV, Fire TV, Roku, and Google TV.
PBR also emphasized its continued partnership with CBS, which has been airing PBR events since 2018. The CBS agreement extends through 2030, and the network will continue to broadcast PBR events on both CBS TV and Paramount+.
The legal battle between PBR and Merit Street is still unfolding, with both sides interpreting their contractual obligations differently. While PBR claims that Merit Street failed to pay what was owed, Merit Street argues that the dispute was still under negotiation, and PBR’s public statement has complicated matters. The dispute could result in legal action, with both parties potentially suing for breach of contract and seeking damages. It is also possible that the case could be resolved through arbitration or mediation before moving to court.
As the PBR season begins, the league’s leadership remains confident in its ability to navigate the dispute, highlighting strong TV ratings, attendance growth, and a new sponsorship deal with Progressive Insurance as indicators of a positive future.
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