Tapping into Western sports and entertainment, Teton Ridge has acquired The Cowboy Channel, The Cowgirl Channel, and streaming platform The Cowboy Channel+ from Rural Media Group. In doing so, Teton Ridge places itself as the largest media rights holder of Western sports.

Founded in 2019 with strategic funding from investors, including founder and Chair Thomas Tull who is part-owner of Pittsburgh Steelers and founder of production company Legendary Entertainment; Mark Walter CEO of Guggenheim Partners, co-founder of TWG and CEO and co-owner of the Los Angeles Dodgers; Jim Breyer, and the Lee Bass Family Office, Teton Ridge has placed itself firmly in the growing niche of Western sports – primarily rodeo – and lifestyle.

According to Teton Ridge, The Cowboy Channel and The Cowgirl Channel collectively reach an audience of over 100 million people across social, audio, digital/OTT, and linear platforms, broadcasting more than 600 live rodeo events annually. Linear TV distribution for The Cowboy Channel is currently on the likes of DISH, DIRECTV, Comcast, Charter, Altice. The Cowgirl Channel is currently exclusive to DISH. Teton Ridge has existing distribution agreements with FOX, FS1, FS2 and DAZN.

While key rodeo events have aired on FOX and FS1, Teton Ridge takes over a network that broadcasts more than 600 live rodeo events each year. As part of the acquisition, they will take over an exclusive licensing agreement with the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA) through 2028, which includes the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo, Calgary Stampede, Cheyenne Frontier Days, Pendleton Round-Up, San Antonio Stock Show and Rodeo, National Finals Rodeo (NFR), and more. That content will be added to IP rights that Teton Ridge already has with the American Rodeo Contender Series and The American Performance Horseman.

In an exclusive interview with me for Forbes, Teton Ridge CEO Deirdre Lester said that one of the goals of the purchase is to expand distribution via major Multichannel Video Programming Distributors (MVPDs) and partner with over-the-top (OTT) networks.

“What the acquisition is about for Teton Ridge is taking what already exists and advancing it in a modern way, because currently, The Cowboy Channel is predominantly a linear network,” said Lester. “While it does reach over 100 million plus people across social, digital OTT, it is programmed for linear primarily. We’re never going to walk away from the linear broadcast, but there’s just so much opportunity to accelerate advance, and grow.”

To that end, Teton Ridge plans to expand live streaming and on-demand with Cowboy Channel+.

Lester said that one of the key growth factors is the ability to do storytelling and increase content.

“Several years back, we acquired the American rodeo,” she said. “If you look at what we did with the American we took the single-day rodeo and turned it into a season-long series that goes from August through April and culminates in the championship at Arlington, Texas…. The same will be true of The Cowboy Channel.”

“The partnership with Rural Media Group and The Cowboy Channel brought rodeo to living rooms across the world in a manner never seen before,” said Tom Glause, CEO of Professional Rodeo Cowboy Association. “Rodeo is a showcase of the Western lifestyle and we are excited to work with Teton Ridge on the continued evolution of promoting our athletes and communities to millions of fans.”

Financial details were not revealed regarding Teton Ridge’s acquisition from Rural Media Group (RMG). While the acquisition sees Teton Ridge owning The Cowboy Channel, The Cowgirl Channel, and Cowboy Channel+, RMG will still continue to operate its flagship network RFD-TV, RFD-TV NOW, the network’s live streaming and on-demand service, and RURAL RADIO on Sirius XM 147, along with FarmHER + RanchHER.

“We are confident that The Cowboy Channel and The Cowgirl Channel assets are in the best possible hands,” said Raquel Gottsch Koehler, Co-Owner of Rural Media Group and daughter of the late founder and media visionary Patrick Gottsch. “Our father built The Cowboy Channel to celebrate and elevate Western sports, and Teton Ridge’s commitment to preserving the authenticity of the Western lifestyle aligns with that vision. We are proud to pass the torch to a team that shares our deep passion for rodeo and Western sports, and we believe they will continue to grow the channel’s legacy while reaching new audiences and honoring the traditions we cherish.”