After giving Merit Street the requisite cure period and the company failing to cure, PBR had “no choice but to terminate,” Gleason said. The bullriding organization couldn’t keep providing its content to the company, so it pulled the plug. “It was a shock to us that we were in that position,” Gleason said.

The Professional Bull Riders (PBR) announced Tuesday that it has terminated its contractual relationship with Dr. Phil McGraw’s Merit Street Media ahead of PBR’s new season starting Friday night in Tucson.

Last May, in unveiling a major partnership with PBR Dr. Phil McGraw did everything to ingratiate himself to PBR fans but ride a bull. In his familiar Texas twang, he said the gritty, humble cowboys were inspirational,