SIOUX FALLS, S.D. (March 11, 2021) – PBR (Professional Bull Riders), the first major professional sport in North America to welcome fans back into indoor arenas with new safety protocols in Sioux Falls last July following the COVID-19 related shutdown, will now be the first to offer a professional sporting event at full indoor-arena capacity when its premier series returns to Sioux Falls in April.
The top bull riders and rankest bucking bulls in the league return to the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center April 9-11 as the league once again makes sports history welcoming back fans in full indoor arena capacity for the Unleash The Beast First PREMIER Bank PREMIER Bankcard Invitational.
Since the onset of the health pandemic, through implementing new protocols and executing the blueprint for a return that was subsequently shared with more than 15 other leagues, PBR has successfully held 31 ticketed fan weekends with 66 individual ticketed events, hosting more than 131,000 fans.
“We’re excited to welcome bull riding back to Sioux Falls,” said South Dakota Governor Kristi Noem. “Last summer, PBR proved that we can hold safe and responsible events, and they chose South Dakota for the first major sporting event with fans in the stands in the country. We’re building on the success of that event and proving that South Dakota is a national destination for rodeo.”
PBR along with ASM Global and the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center will continue to create a safe and responsible environment for all fans in attendance. The event will include activation of ASM Global’s “Venue Shield”– an advanced environmental hygiene protocol that reduces physical touch points, increases venue sanitization and cleanliness, and provides various health monitoring guidelines and services. ASM Global, which manages Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, is the world’s leading venue management and services company.
The guidelines and protocols in place at the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center will include:
· Mobile ticketing to replace traditional printed tickets.
· Increased reliance on cashless, contactless concessions with prepackaged food available for sale.
· Social distancing guidelines with prominent signage including queuing stickers.
· Temperature testing and Centers for Disease Control (CDC) screening for all staff.
· In addition to CDC screening, PBR staff and athletes will undergo medical testing for COVID-19.
“One of the key milestones for our sport’s safe and responsible return was when fans came back into the arena in Sioux Falls last July through a forward-thinking partnership with ASM Global, the City of Sioux Falls and Gov. Kristi Noem,” said Sean Gleason, Commissioner and CEO of PBR. “We are very excited to return to Denny Sanford PREMIER Center in Sioux Falls as we continue to move forward.”
Fan favorites including reigning World Champion Jose Vitor Leme, two-time World Champions J.B. Mauney and Jess Lockwood,three-time World Champion Silvano Alves, 2018 World Champion Kaique Pacheco, 2016 World Champion Cooper Davis, 2020 Iron Cowboy winner Cole Melancon, Arkansas cowboy Chase Outlaw, South Dakota resident Matt Triplett and many more will be among the riders expected to compete throughout the weekend, all looking for a win to secure their place in the world standings for the 2021 season.
The bull riding action will begin at 7:45 p.m. on Friday, April 9, 6:45 p.m. on Saturday, April 10 and 1:45 p.m. on Sunday, April 11.
Tickets for the three-day event can be purchased at the KELOLAND Box Office inside the Denny Sanford PREMIER Center, by calling PBR at (800) 732-1727, visiting Ticketmaster.com, or by visiting pbr.com. Prices range from $15 to $110.
A new three-day combo ticket allowing for fans to bundle their weekend purchases and receive 20% off select price levels can be purchased by calling PBR.
Fans can upgrade their ticket purchase by selecting the “Elite Experience” add-on for $75. This elevated experience includes a $10 concession voucher, a question and answer presentation with top bull riders and stock contractorsand souvenir credential and lanyard.
For an exclusive VIP experience, fans can purchase “PBR Elite Seats” for $350. These tickets offer premium seats closest to the chutes, a $10 concession voucher, a question and answer presentation with some of the top bull riders and stock contractors in the world, a special tour of the bucking chutes with a stock contractor and souvenir credential and lanyard.
The “Elite Experience” and “PBR Elite Seats” can both be purchased by contacting the PBR Customer Service Department at 800-732-1727 or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.
Additionally, fans can purchase an exclusive behind the scenes experience with the animal athletes of the PBR by signing up for the “Bull Housing Tour” on Saturday morning April 10. This limited capacity experience features a discussion with top stock contractors who care for and raise the best bucking bulls in the world as well as a meet and greet with the bovines themselves, collectible book detailing the historic bulls of the PBR and a souvenir credential and lanyard. The “Bull Housing Tour” is available for $60 and can be purchased by contacting the PBR Customer Service Department at 800-732-1727 or by visiting Ticketmaster.com.
PBR fans around the country can take advantage of the Sioux Falls “Travel Package,” a brand new offer for the 2021 event. This getaway package offers hotel accommodations for two nights (Fri/Sat or Sat/Sun), two tickets for all three nights of the competition, three $10 concession vouchers, an exclusive behind-the-scenes tour of the inter-workings of a PBR event, the exciting Saturday morning “Bull Housing Tour,” a welcome tote and a souvenir credential and lanyard. Available for $1,500, the “Travel Package” is built as the ultimate weekend away for two fans and can be purchased by calling PBR.
About PBR (Professional Bull Riders)
PBR is the world’s premier bull riding organization. More than 700 bull riders compete in more than 200 events annually across the televised PBR Unleash The Beast tour (UTB), which features the top 35 bull riders in the world; the PBR Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour (PWVT); the PBR Touring Pro Division (TPD); and the PBR’s international circuits in Australia, Brazil, Canada and Mexico. PBR’s digital assets include RidePass, which is home to Western sports. PBR is a subsidiary of IMG, a global leader in sports, fashion, events and media. For more information, visit PBR.com, or follow on Facebook at Facebook.com/PBR, Twitter at Twitter.com/PBR, and YouTube at YouTube.com/PBR.
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