GUYMON, Okla. – Over the last quarter century, the exposure of rodeo has increased mightily.

The Wrangler ProRodeo Tour, established in time for the 2000 season, featured the top events in the sport on programs that were nationally televised. The Guymon Pioneer Days Rodeo was at the forefront of it all, an opportunity that brought viewers into the Oklahoma Panhandle.

“We understood then that television was going to be one of the ways we were going to grow our rodeo,” said Ken Stonecipher, chairman of the volunteer committee that produces the annual event. “It’s changed a lot since we were part of that tour, but we’ve continued to gain awareness for our rodeo and for this community because of the television exposure.”

The PRCA reported that 26 million people had watched rodeo in 2000 and estimated that about 40 million were set to view the broadcasts in 2001. The rodeo, which occurs annually the first weekend in May, was tape-delayed and shown weeks later to the national audience.

This year’s rodeo – set for 7:30 p.m. Friday, May 2; 2 and 7:30 p.m. Saturday, May 3; and 2 p.m. Sunday, May 4, at Henry C. Hitch Pioneer Arena – will be broadcast live on The Cowboy Channel, as has been the case for several years since the network reached an agreement to showcase PRCA events, including the National Finals Rodeo. Rodeo viewership in 2024 was around 100 million.

The Cowboy Channel was founded by Patrick Gottsch in 2017 and pioneered 24-hour rodeo and Western-sports broadcasting. It was acquired last November by Teton Ridge, which was created in 2019 with strategic funding from investors, all of whom shared a vision to expand the reach and impact of Western sports.

Other than the ownership, not much else has changed with The Cowboy Channel and its association with ProRodeo. The network, which covers most of the 600-plus PRCA-sanctioned rodeos, has distribution agreements with DISH, DIRECTV, Comcast, Cox, Charter, Altice and others. Teton Ridge retained The Cowboy Channel’s licensing agreement with the PRCA during its acquisition.

“The good thing for us is that our agreement with The Cowboy Channel broadcasting Pioneer Days Rodeo is unchanged, so we will again be featured that first weekend in May,” said Stonecipher, a longstanding committee member who was instrumental in the event being part of the Wrangler ProRodeo Tour 25 years ago. “We have a great rodeo that’s fun for the fans who come to Guymon to enjoy it, and we put together a great production that can be enjoyed on TV, whether you watch it on The Cowboy Channel or on The Cowboy Channel+ app.”

The exposure is not only beneficial to the rodeo but also to its contestants. Not only are they battling for big dollars in the Oklahoma Panhandle, but being showcased on television helps cowboys and cowgirls potentially receive lucrative sponsorships.

“I’d say 90 percent of the events I compete at are televised and that rural America is watching,” said Josh Frost, an Oklahoma Panhandle State University alumnus and the 2024 bull riding world champion. “The Cowboy Channel is huge for us.”