Unleash the Beast Series is the premier series of the Professional Bull Riders. Prior to that, the premier series was known as the Built Ford Tough Series from 2003 to 2017, and before that as the Bud Light Cup Series from 1994 to 2002. As has become the tradition in recent years, the PBR premier series opens at Madison Square Garden in New York City, New York. The top 35 riders and top bulls compete at each event, and it culminates in the PBR World Finals at the end of the year, which currently take place in Las Vegas, Nevada, at the T-Mobile Arena. It includes no more than 30 events across the United States each year. Pyrotechnics, pulsating music, and special effects open each event. Each UTB event contains a round with 35 bull rides. For a two-day event, the 35 bull riders will compete in Round 1 and 2. The top 15 scores advance to the Championship Round. The event winner is the rider with the highest combined score from all three rounds. For a three-day event, the 35 bull riders will complete in Rounds 1, 2, and 3. The top 15 scores advance to the Championship round. The event winner is the rider with the highest combined score from all three rounds. There are four events on the UTB that are considered major events. The first major of the year is the Monster Energy Buck Off event at Madison Square Garden in New York, New York. Next comes the Iron Cowboy event at Staples Center in Los Angeles, California. Up until 2018, the Last Cowboy Standing was held in the Thomas & Mack Center in Las Vegas, Nevada. In July 2019, the Last Cowboy Standing event was held at Cheyenne Frontier Days in Cheyenne, Wyoming. The last event of the season is the Music City Knockout, which takes place at the Bridgestone Arena in Nashville, Tennessee. Major events offer competition in different formats, bonus bulls, and more prize money. These major events are broadcast on CBS Sports Network. Together, these four major events compose the PBR Grand Slam Series. 15/15 Bucking Battles are offered at some PBR UTB events. This type of event matches the top 15 bull riders against the top 15 bulls at the event. The matching is random. There is a separate purse for this event. Points are earned at the rate of 1 and 1/2 times the round points. Points do not factor into the event winner but do count toward the World Standings. The winner is the bull rider with the highest ride score. Qualifying for the PBR UTB World Finals is based on points. Points can be earned on all of the PBR's tours, which include the UTB elite tour, mid-level, and entry level tour, and the International tours. International tours include Australia, Brazil, Canada, and Mexico. The top 35 ranked riders in the World Standings according to points earned compete at the World Finals. The Velocity Tour Champion, the top three highest ranked finishers at the Velocity Tour Finals, and the highest ranked finisher international rider at the Velocity Tour Finals also compete at the World Finals. The PBR World Finals concludes in Las Vegas, Nevada. It awards almost $2.2 million. This includes the $1 million bonus to the World Champion. The World Champion also receives a championship gold belt buckle, for which the value increased from $10,000 to $20,000 in 2018.
