Nov 5 (Reuters) - Skydance-owned Paramount and

Professional Bull Riders have signed a five-year media rights

agreement that would bring PBR's "Unleash the Beast" league

series on Paramount+ starting in December, the companies said on

Wednesday.

"Unleash the Beast" is the highest level in the professional

bull riding competition series, where the top 35 bull riders in

the world compete for money and points leading up to the world

championship title. The series is currently broadcast on CBS

Sports.

Paramount+ will stream live coverage of the five-month long

series that will span 17 states. CBS will continue to carry the

CBS "Game of the Week" for PBR during the 2026 season of the

series. PBR has been broadcasting with CBS since 2013.

The Paramount-PBR deal comes at a time when TV programs are

moving to streaming platforms as consumers cut the cord and turn

to on-demand viewing on multiple devices. Streaming services

have also been eyeing more sports content and live events to

boost their appeal to consumers.

PBR is a part of TKO Group Holdings ( TKO ), which struck an

exclusive broadcasting deal in August with Paramount for U.S.

broadcasting of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, set to begin

in 2026. The seven-year deal is valued at about $7.7 billion.

The 2026 season of "Unleash the Beast" will kick off in

December in Manchester, New Hampshire.