The 2026 Unleash The Beast season rides into Billings, Montana, for a crucial late-season stop inside First Interstate Arena at MetraPark. With the World Finals approaching, every ride carries major implications in both the individual title race and the Monster Energy Team Challenge postseason.

Adding to the intensity, the weekend will feature semifinal action in the Monster Energy Team Challenge, where teams battle in a special head-to-head format with a trip to the Championship on the line.

Here’s how to catch all the action.

Start Time

Friday, April 17 at 6:45 p.m. MT
Saturday, April 18 at 6:45 p.m. MT

Location

First Interstate Arena at MetraPark in Billings, Montana

TV Coverage

Friday, Apr. 17: 9:00 p.m. ET – Unleash The Beast on Paramount+
Saturday, Apr. 18: 9:00 p.m. ET – Unleash The Beast on Paramount+
Sunday, Apr. 19: 1:00 p.m. ET – Monster Energy Team Challenge on CBS

For more information on how to watch, click HERE.

International

International fans can learn more about how to watch the Velocity Tour and Unleash The Beast all season long by clicking HERE.

More Bulls Bucking: Velocity Tour

The Pendleton Whisky Velocity Tour continues in Tennessee as riders look to earn their way onto the Unleash The Beast stage.

Ram Trucks PBR Knoxville

Start Time
Saturday, April 18 at 7:00 p.m. ET

Location
Food City Center in Knoxville, Tennessee

TV Coverage
April 18: 7:00 p.m. ET on RidePass and the PBR App

YouTube

Check the PBR’s YouTube channel for weekly highlights, top rides and the biggest wrecks of the weekends.

Key Storylines

As the regular season winds down, injuries and recoveries continue to shift the competitive landscape. Leandro Zampollo returns after sitting out South Dakota with a groin injury, and after working out Wednesday, appears ready for the second-to-last regular-season event of the year. Still hunting his first event win, Zampollo enters the weekend ranked No. 3 in the standings. Hudson Bolton is also back in action following rib and groin injuries sustained on the PRCA rodeo trail, while Kaiden Loud remains in the draw despite an ankle that continues to bother him.

All eyes remain on Cassio Dias, who continues to search for answers. After switching from his Brazilian rope to an American rope for roughly five events, Dias went back to his Brazilian rope this weekend — sans elbow brace — but still appeared out of form, with his hand popping loose, resulting in a hard hit and trampling. The former World Champion has been in conversation with Kansas City Outlaws coach Guilherme Marchi, openly expressing frustration as he works to rediscover his rhythm at a critical point in the season. He is set to face Black Eyes in Billings.

This weekend also introduces a new look in the bull pen, as several top-tier bovine athletes begin to be rested ahead of the World Finals. With new bulls getting their shot, the draw presents a different kind of challenge — one that could create opportunity for riders able to make quick adjustments.

For Marco Rizzo, this weekend carries added significance as he returns to Billings accompanied by his mother, marking one year since suffering a broken leg at this very event. The moment brings things full circle, adding a personal layer to his return as he continues to build towards the Rookie of the Year and World Finals.

Meanwhile, Daniel Keeping continues a tradition of his own, making the 19-hour drive to Billings — a yearly commitment that underscores the long road that has defined his career in the sport. Fresh off a hot streak in Sioux Falls, where he surged from No. 32 to No. 20 in the standings in a single weekend, Keeping rides that momentum into Montana, once again reconnecting with the open road on his journey from Texas.

Between returning riders, lingering injuries, and a reshaped bull pen, this weekend sets up as another pivotal stop in the race toward the World Finals. Don’t miss a second of the action — catch both days of the Unleash The Beast competition live on Paramount+, followed by the Monster Energy Team Challenge on Sunday on CBS at 1 p.m. ET.

Social Media

Follow the PBR on X (Twitter) and Facebook for live updates, videos and behind-the-scenes content.

X | Facebook | Instagram

Photo courtesy of Bull Stock Media