Satellite : Dish Network to sponsor pro bull-riders tour

[rajuB4U]

Dish Network to sponsor pro bull-riders tour

Denver Business Journal

Dish Network Corp. will become the satellite TV sponsor of the Professional Bull Riders tour for the remainder of 2009 and through 2010.
The Pueblo-based Profession Bull Riders Inc. (PBR) reached the exclusive sponsorship with Douglas County-based Dish Network (NASDAQ: DISH) after its events carriage on satellite broadcaster DirecTV stopped when DirecTV dropped the sports channel Versus.
Dish Network announced Wednesday that it now holds exclusive broadcast rights to the PBR’s Built Ford Tough Series events.
It’s trying to lure bull riding fans away from DirecTV by offering viewers Versus free in November.
Dish Network, with 13.6 million subscribers, is the second-largest satellite TV company behind DirecTV, which has 18 million subscribers.
DirecTV, which is majority owned by Douglas County-based Liberty Media Corp., dropped Versus after Philadelphia-based cable company Comcast Corp., Versus’ parent company, sought to raise fees paid by the satellite company for carrying the channel.
“Millions of PBR fans are deeply concerned about the uncertain future of Versus’ availability on DirecTV,” said Randy Bernard, CEO of Professional Bull Riders. “We have heard from tens of thousands of them and have been working diligently to provide options and alternatives.”