I find the Wrangler National Finals Rodeo one of the most thrilling sporting events to watch and look forward to it every year. Since I can’t get to Las Vegas to see it in person, I catch all the action on The Cowboy Channel with Sling TV.
In a hurry? The 66th annual National Finals Rodeo airs live on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV across December 5th-14th, 2024. Both channels are available with Sling TV’s Heartland Extra add-on. Save 50% on Sling TV now!
Table Of Contents
Channels To Watch NFR Live Online
The Wrangler National Finals Rodeo (NFR) airs on The Cowboy Channel and RFD-TV simultaneously. There are three key ways to watch without cable:
- NFR Streaming Pass — get unlimited access to all rodeo events (including NFR 2024) and The Cowboy Channel. You can get a year-long pass for $99.99, three months for $39.95, or one month for $29.95. The year pass also provides access to other sports, including NFL, NCAAF, NBA, MLB, MMA, Boxing, Golf, and more.
- Cowboy Channel Plus — the “Everything We Got” package includes NFR coverage on top of all live and on-demand programming from The Cowboy Channel and The Cowgirl Channel for $119.99.
- Streaming service — Two services carry The Cowboy Channel: DIRECTV STREAM (Ultimate or Premier package) and Sling TV (Blue or Orange plan with the Heartland Extra add-on).
All of these options work the same: you sign up, download the service’s app onto your streaming device (eg, smartphone or smart TV), and then sign in to start watching The Cowboy Channel.
With its 50% off offer, I found Sling TV the cheapest out of these options.
Streaming NFR 2024 With Sling TV
To get The Cowboy Channel with Sling TV, you need either a Blue or Orange base plan for $40.00/month, and then the Heartland Extra add-on for another $6/month.
Both of Sling’s base plans start at $40.00/month, with at least 30+ channels. Or you can get both for the discounted price of $55.00/month, which gives you all 50+ channels.
When I added the Heartland Extra add-on to get The Cowboy Channel, I received 10+ more channels as well, including World Fishing Network, INSP, Sportsman Channel, Pursuit, Outdoor Channel, Great American Family, Great American Faith & Living, American Heroes Channel, RFD-TV, Destination America, PiXL.
I find this customizability one of Sling TV’s biggest and most unique strengths (and how I suspect it keeps its base plan price so low compared to other streaming services). Get complete Sling TV details in our full review here.
National Finals Rodeo Overview
The NFR is the premier pro-rodeo event from the Professional Rodeo Cowboys Association (PRCA), the world’s largest rodeo organization. Some call it the Super Bowl of Rodeo, though I say it’s more like the NASCAR playoffs since it showcases individual competitors and awards based on the PRCA World Standings.
But even this under-sells the complexity of the NFR. It features seven of the standard eight rodeo events in professional rodeo (only missing steer roping):
Roughstock Events
- Bareback riding: Horse without saddle.
- Bull riding: Bull without saddle.
- Saddle bronc riding: Horse with western saddle.
Timed Events
- Barrel racing: Rider and horse race around two barrels (cowgirl-only event).
- Steer wrestling: Rider jumps from a horse and wrestles a steer to the ground by its horns.
- Team roping: Two riders rope a steer, one by the head (the “header”) and the other by the feet (the “heeler”) — this is the only team event.
- Tie-down roping: Mounted rider ropes a calf, tackles it, and ties up three of its legs.
At the contest’s end, the highest-earning cowboy from at least one yearly event is awarded the title of All-Around Cowboy World Champion and the coveted Gold Buckle.
NFR is held annually over ten nights, usually at the Thomas & Mack Center at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) in Paradise, Nevada.
NFR 2024 Schedule
NFR 2024 takes place over ten days, starting Thursday, December 5th, and finishing on Saturday, December 14th. Events kick off before this though, starting with contestant introductions for Miss Rodeo America on Sunday, December 1st, followed by the PRCA National Convention kicking off on Monday, December 2nd.
Once the official contest starts, the main event airs live each night on The Cowboy Channel at (ET). This is the NFR broadcast schedule for every day between Thursday, December 5th and Saturday, December 14th:
| Time (ET) | Events |
|---|---|
| Deep Dive | |
| Zero In | |
| Tailgate Party | |
| Western Sports Round-Up | |
| NFR Preshow | |
| Wrangler National Finals Rodeo | |
| NFR Postshow | |
| NFR Buckle Presentation |
Our Choice
Any rodeo fan will want to watch the National Finals Rodeo. If you can’t be there in person, join me in watching it on Sling TV. With its 50% off offer, Sling is the cheapest way to get The Cowboy Channel while NFR is on so you can watch every event, and it comes with related channels I’ve also found interesting (so you probably will too).
FAQs
Why isn’t steer roping held at the NFR?
The National Finals Rodeo is held each year in Las Vegas, Nevada. But Nevada has outlawed steer roping. It isn’t alone. Most states ban it. The event involves roping a steer from horseback and yanking it to stun the animal for long enough for the cowboy to dismount. Many in the rodeo world dislike the event, which leads to many injuries and even deaths.
*The appearance of U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) visual information does not imply or constitute DoD endorsement.
Page Updates ▼▲
-
Updated for 2023
-
Added new section. Added links to streaming services. Mentioned channel info. Reworked one section. Updated some sections. Added a few links.
My expertise in sports coverage, particularly for out-of-market games and regional sports networks, stems from years of hands-on experience as an early adopter of streaming services and my work addressing fans' viewing challenges. As a longtime cord-cutter and subscriber to multiple streaming platforms, I combine my technical knowledge with practical user experience, making me a leading expert in the field of sports streaming and entertainment technology.
- How to Watch Pac-12 College Teams in 2024-25 - 08/06/2024
- States That Have Produced the Best Actors and Actresses - 09/06/2022
- US States With the Fastest Internet - 06/21/2022
Leave a Comment