Bull riding's biggest team showdown rolls into Las Vegas this weekend, as all 10 PBR teams converge on T-Mobile Arena for the 2026 PBR Teams Championship, running Friday through Sunday. The defending champion Carolina Cowboys are back to defend their title, with two-time PBR World Champion Jess Lockwood riding for them once again.
The 2026 season concludes with the PBR Teams Championship, Nov. 6-8 at T-Mobile Arena in Las Vegas, and all 10 teams from around the nation are set to compete, according to visitlasvegas.com. The arena sits right on the Strip at 3780 Las Vegas Blvd S, per the same listing. The competing squads include the Ridge Riders, Gamblers, Cowboys, Freedom, Outlaws, Thunder, Stampede, Mavericks, Wildcatters, and Rattlers, the site notes.
For Orlando-area fans who can't make the trip, local coverage is built in. Live coverage of the PBR Teams Championship airs Saturday, Nov. 7 at 8 p.m. on CW18 in Orlando, according to WESH. Sunday's broadcast follows at 5:30 p.m., also on CW18 in Orlando, per the station's report.
Lockwood and the Cowboys Chase a Repeat
Jess Lockwood, a two-time PBR World Champion, is a member of the defending champion Carolina Cowboys heading into this year's tournament, the station notes. Lockwood joined WESH 2 ahead of the event to share his thoughts on the 2026 season and the upcoming championship. During that conversation, he reflected on his personal journey, including overcoming injuries and personal challenges, per the same account.
The Cowboys aren't the only team with a repeat on their minds. The Nashville Stampede, 2022 champions, the Texas Rattlers, 2023 champions, and the Austin Gamblers, 2024 champions, are each riding for a second title alongside Carolina, according to pbr.com. PBR announced the full 2026 game and television schedule back on July 7, with the regular season spanning 175 games total and each team playing 35 games across the year, the league said.
Format Details Vary Between Sources
Exactly how the championship will be decided depends on which source you check. PBR's event site describes an elimination tournament in which all teams compete, with the top three earning a Day 2 bye before the field is narrowed down to crown a champion, according to the PBR Teams Championship site. Visit Las Vegas, meanwhile, describes a format built around three-team games and Last Chance competitions, saying it eliminates the previous elimination rounds that sent teams home early. The two descriptions don't fully match up, and neither source clarifies which is current.
Broadcast timing carries a similar wrinkle on the national level. PBR's own watch page notes that the Sunday, Nov. 8 championship broadcast time is pending the NFL schedule and will air either from 3 to 4 p.m. ET or 5 to 6 p.m., according to PBR's watch listing. That national uncertainty sits alongside the fixed 5:30 p.m. CW18 airing confirmed for Orlando viewers.
Beyond the Arena: Vegas Events for Fans
PBR's broader 2026 Teams schedule airs across CBS and The CW and streams on Paramount+, offering more than 100 hours of coverage over the season, per pbr.com's announcement. For fans heading to Las Vegas in person, individual event tickets are available for Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, according to visitlasvegas.com.
The weekend also includes fan-facing events away from the arena floor. A PBR Team Championship Kickoff Party is scheduled at Ole Red, located at the intersection of W. Flamingo and Las Vegas Boulevard, according to the event schedule posted on pbrteamschampionship.com. Team autographs are also planned at booths in The Park outside New York-New York, the same schedule shows.
