Latest news with #TeamSeries
Yahoo
04-08-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Major League Fishing, RFD-TV Join Forces to Bring Bass Fishing to National TV
MLF's Team Series to Air Live on RFD-TV Beginning Aug. 24 BENTON, Ky., August 04, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a landmark move for outdoor sports and Rural Media Group, Major League Fishing (MLF) and RFD-TV announced today an exclusive broadcast partnership that will bring live tournament coverage from the MLF Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops to a national television audience for the first time. Starting Sunday, August 24, RFD-TV will air the final period of all 24 Team Series matches live – delivering the most intense, high-stakes moments of MLF competition straight into living rooms across the country. Final-period broadcasts will air from 2:30 to 5 p.m. ET, and unlike any other televised bass tournaments, the winner of each match will be crowned live as teams strive to survive and advance to the championship round. In addition, RFD-TV will kick off its coverage with a special full-day broadcast of Day 1 of the opening Team Series event of the season, the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup from Port Huron on Michigan's Thumbcoast, airing live from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 24. This partnership is more than just a programming decision. It's a bold step forward for both organizations. It marks MLF's first live presence on a linear television network since Emmy-winning announcer Joe Buck, baseball analyst Bob Brenly and Forrest L. Wood called the action live on FOX during the 1999 Ranger M1 Millennium, the first time a bass fishing tournament appeared live on linear TV. The historic Nov. 7, 1999, broadcast reeled in more than 2 million viewers. The 2025 MLF Team Series heralds Rural Media Group's return to live sports broadcasting, building on a legacy that once included over 600 live rodeo events annually. "This partnership is a major milestone for Major League Fishing and for the sport of professional bass fishing," said Jim Wilburn, President of Sales for MLF. "Our fans will now be able to watch live tournament action unfold on a national broadcast television network. RFD-TV's reach and commitment to rural and outdoor programming make them the perfect partner to help us bring the excitement of the Team Series to more households than ever before." Raquel Gottsch Koehler, Chief Marketing & Creative Officer and Co-Owner of RFD-TV, sees the partnership as part of a broader mission. "This is about more than live sports. It's about honoring tradition while embracing what's next," Koehler said. "At RFD-TV, we've always been committed to amplifying voices and stories that too often go unheard, and the story of professional bass fishing is one of grit, strategy and relentless passion. We're extremely proud that RFD-TV will bring that story live to a national broadcast audience." The 2025 MLF Team Series is made up of four Cups – the Challenge Cup (Aug. 24–29), Heritage Cup (Sept. 14–19), Patriot Cup (Oct. 22–27), and Summit Cup (Nov. 16–21) – each featuring six action-packed matches with Bass Pro Tour anglers paired in two-man teams. Designed for television, the format delivers nonstop action, dramatic swings, and SCORETRACKER® leaderboard shakeups that make for compelling live viewing. Each live broadcast will be produced by MLF's award-winning production partner, Winnercomm, in HD and delivered to RFD-TV, ensuring the same standard of excellence fans have come to expect from MLFNOW!® livestream coverage. RFD-TV will hold exclusive linear broadcast rights during the live airing window, while fans can also stream the final periods live on the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV, and Rumble. the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, and Rumble will stream the entirety of each event. Post-produced episodes of the Team Series will continue to air on the Outdoor Channel, Discovery and Vice. The agreement also includes a dynamic mix of promotional support from both partners, including tune-in spots across MLF digital and linear platforms, dedicated features on RFD-TV's Market Day Report and Rural Evening News, and a one-hour "MLF 101" special airing from RFD-TV's Nashville studios in August. "This collaboration embodies what's possible when tradition meets innovation," Wilburn said. "We're not just broadcasting bass fishing – we're elevating the platform for anglers, sponsors and fans alike, and we're doing it together." For complete details and updated information on the MLF Team Series, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. About RFD-TV Launched in 2000, RFD-TV is the flagship television network of Rural Media Group, Inc., and the only 24-hour network dedicated to serving the needs of rural America. An independent, family-owned and operated media network, RFD-TV features a mix of agribusiness reporting, equine programs, rural lifestyle shows, and traditional country music. The network produces more than six hours of live news every weekday from state-of-the-art studios located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas and on iconic Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. RFD-TV is available nationwide via DISH, DIRECTV®, AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Charter Spectrum, and other major providers, as well as online at and through RFD-TV Now, Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, and Sling TV. View source version on Contacts MEDIA CONTACT:JOE OPAGER SR. DIRECTOR OF COMMUNICATIONS, MLFp: 218.434.0748e: JENNIFER ST. CLAIR COMMUNICATIONS, RFD-TVp: 323.481.6841e: jennifer@ Sign in to access your portfolio
Business Wire
04-08-2025
- Business
- Business Wire
Major League Fishing, RFD-TV Join Forces to Bring Bass Fishing to National TV
BENTON, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--In a landmark move for outdoor sports and Rural Media Group, Major League Fishing (MLF) and RFD-TV announced today an exclusive broadcast partnership that will bring live tournament coverage from the MLF Team Series Presented by Bass Pro Shops to a national television audience for the first time. 'This collaboration embodies what's possible when tradition meets innovation. We're not just broadcasting bass fishing – we're elevating the platform for anglers, sponsors and fans alike, and we're doing it together.' Share Starting Sunday, August 24, RFD-TV will air the final period of all 24 Team Series matches live – delivering the most intense, high-stakes moments of MLF competition straight into living rooms across the country. Final-period broadcasts will air from 2:30 to 5 p.m. ET, and unlike any other televised bass tournaments, the winner of each match will be crowned live as teams strive to survive and advance to the championship round. In addition, RFD-TV will kick off its coverage with a special full-day broadcast of Day 1 of the opening Team Series event of the season, the B&W Trailer Hitches Challenge Cup from Port Huron on Michigan's Thumbcoast, airing live from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. ET on Sunday, August 24. This partnership is more than just a programming decision. It's a bold step forward for both organizations. It marks MLF's first live presence on a linear television network since Emmy-winning announcer Joe Buck, baseball analyst Bob Brenly and Forrest L. Wood called the action live on FOX during the 1999 Ranger M1 Millennium, the first time a bass fishing tournament appeared live on linear TV. The historic Nov. 7, 1999, broadcast reeled in more than 2 million viewers. The 2025 MLF Team Series heralds Rural Media Group's return to live sports broadcasting, building on a legacy that once included over 600 live rodeo events annually. 'This partnership is a major milestone for Major League Fishing and for the sport of professional bass fishing,' said Jim Wilburn, President of Sales for MLF. 'Our fans will now be able to watch live tournament action unfold on a national broadcast television network. RFD-TV's reach and commitment to rural and outdoor programming make them the perfect partner to help us bring the excitement of the Team Series to more households than ever before.' Raquel Gottsch Koehler, Chief Marketing & Creative Officer and Co-Owner of RFD-TV, sees the partnership as part of a broader mission. 'This is about more than live sports. It's about honoring tradition while embracing what's next,' Koehler said. 'At RFD-TV, we've always been committed to amplifying voices and stories that too often go unheard, and the story of professional bass fishing is one of grit, strategy and relentless passion. We're extremely proud that RFD-TV will bring that story live to a national broadcast audience.' The 2025 MLF Team Series is made up of four Cups – the Challenge Cup (Aug. 24–29), Heritage Cup (Sept. 14–19), Patriot Cup (Oct. 22–27), and Summit Cup (Nov. 16–21) – each featuring six action-packed matches with Bass Pro Tour anglers paired in two-man teams. Designed for television, the format delivers nonstop action, dramatic swings, and SCORETRACKER® leaderboard shakeups that make for compelling live viewing. Each live broadcast will be produced by MLF's award-winning production partner, Winnercomm, in HD and delivered to RFD-TV, ensuring the same standard of excellence fans have come to expect from MLFNOW!® livestream coverage. RFD-TV will hold exclusive linear broadcast rights during the live airing window, while fans can also stream the final periods live on the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, RFD-TV Now, Game & Fish TV, and Rumble. the MLF and MyOutdoorTV (MOTV) apps, and Rumble will stream the entirety of each event. Post-produced episodes of the Team Series will continue to air on the Outdoor Channel, Discovery and Vice. The agreement also includes a dynamic mix of promotional support from both partners, including tune-in spots across MLF digital and linear platforms, dedicated features on RFD-TV's Market Day Report and Rural Evening News, and a one-hour 'MLF 101' special airing from RFD-TV's Nashville studios in August. 'This collaboration embodies what's possible when tradition meets innovation,' Wilburn said. 'We're not just broadcasting bass fishing – we're elevating the platform for anglers, sponsors and fans alike, and we're doing it together.' For complete details and updated information on the MLF Team Series, visit For regular updates, photos, tournament news and more, follow MLF's social media outlets at Facebook, X, Instagram and YouTube. About Major League Fishing Major League Fishing (MLF) is the world's largest tournament-fishing organization, producing more than 250 events annually at some of the most prestigious fisheries in the world, while broadcasting to America's living rooms on CBS, Discovery, Discovery+, Discovery GO, Animal Planet, Outdoor Channel, VICE, CBS Sports Network, World Fishing Network and Game & Fish TV, and on demand on MyOutdoorTV (MOTV). Headquartered in Benton, Kentucky, the MLF roster of bass anglers includes the world's top pros and more than 30,000 competitors in all 50 states and 20 countries. Since its founding in 2011, MLF has advanced the sport of competitive fishing through its premier television broadcasts and livestreams and is dedicated to improving the quality of life for bass through research, education, fisheries enhancement and fish care. About RFD-TV Launched in 2000, RFD-TV is the flagship television network of Rural Media Group, Inc., and the only 24-hour network dedicated to serving the needs of rural America. An independent, family-owned and operated media network, RFD-TV features a mix of agribusiness reporting, equine programs, rural lifestyle shows, and traditional country music. The network produces more than six hours of live news every weekday from state-of-the-art studios located in the historic Fort Worth Stockyards in Texas and on iconic Music Row in Nashville, Tennessee. RFD-TV is available nationwide via DISH, DIRECTV®, AT&T U-Verse, Comcast, Charter Spectrum, and other major providers, as well as online at and through RFD-TV Now, Roku, Firestick, Apple TV, and Sling TV.
Yahoo
13-06-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Chevron & Ariat Texas Rattlers hosted second annual charity rodeo
ODESSA, Texas (KMID/KPEJ)- For the second year in a row, Chevron and the Ariat Texas Rattlers teamed up to bring the basin an exciting matchup anchored by a landmark charity initiative. 'When Chevron and the Ariat Texas Rattlers joined together to bring the PBR Chevron Showdown to West Texas, we really wanted to make sure that we integrated charity as a part of the landmark event,' said Catie Matthews, Chevron's Public & Government Affairs Adviser. 'And so through that, the $800 for 8 Seconds program was born.' The way that the $800 for 8 Seconds program works is very simple. Every time a Rattler rider holds on for eight seconds, whether at the Chevron Showdown or throughout the entire Team Series season, an $800 donation will be given to a local community organization. The Ariat Texas Rattlers General Manager Chad Blankenship says the program helps provide his riders with some extra motivation. 'The $800 for 8 program has had a fantastic impact on our riders. You know, fundamentally, they're out there riding for themselves and to provide for their families. But when there's a program like $800 for 8 behind them, it really creates an even deeper and bigger purpose for them and their riding.' WATCH: More about the charitable impact What's the best part about being the General Manager for the Rattlers? Blankenship: 'One, it starts with the riders. To be in a role where I can support these young men to achieve their dreams, to even exceed their dreams, it's tremendously rewarding. The other piece that's been most rewarding really is just the fan engagement… A team format gives fans an opportunity to kind of come in and engage more deeply. There's hometown pride. The Texas Rattlers, of course, are based in Fort Worth, but we really ride for all of Texas, and we have thousands of fans in the Permian Basin. It's a huge privilege when the fans come and they show up and they fly the flag for the team and all the riders who are competing for them.' What's it like to have Dwight Yoakam perform? Matthews: 'Dwight Yoakum is quite the perfect fit for this event. He has that appeal of the Western culture and rodeo and just has that appeal to the people attending the event, but he also, in a way, has a special connection to Chevron. A lot of the folks here, our employees, have worked in our Bakersfield asset, and we all know Dwight is famous for the song 'Streets of Bakersfield,' so I'm sure a lot of our employees are going to enjoy hearing that.' Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
