PBR official says group took initiative to move to new arena

Sean Gleason wants people to know one thing about the Professional Bull Riders' decision to leave Thomas & Mack Center for the new arena on the Strip starting in 2016.

The MGM Resorts International-Anschutz Entertainment Group partnership, which plans to open the $375 million arena in April, did not recruit PBR to hold its annual World Finals at the new venue behind the New York-New York parking garage, said Gleason, PBR's CEO.

"It was PBR that took the initiative," said Gleason, whose bull riding organization will stage its last World Finals at Thomas & Mack one final time in October before moving the event to the MGM-AEG arena for the November 2016 event. "Nobody solicited us. The best business decision was to move to the new arena."

News that PBR was moving its World Finals from Thomas & Mack on the University of Nevada, Las Vegas campus to a new MGM-AEG arena two miles to the west highlights the increased competition that will now unfold in Las Vegas between the market's two big arenas.

Gleason said factors that contributed to the decision to move were that the new arena will have 750 to 1,000 more lower bowl seats than Thomas & Mack and the new arena will have custom designed bucking bull shoots that will allow fans to be closer to the action. Gleason also said the new arena's upper bowl is also being built at an angle that will give bull riding fans a closer look.

"The new venue presented some opportunities to improve (the fan experience)," Gleason said Monday. "It will be a better live viewing experience on the second level."

Rick Arpin, an MGM Resorts former finance executive who is now senior vice president of arena operations, said, "We're tryng to be respectful of Thomas & Mack. We're not looking to steal events from those guys. Sean said it made for sense for him (to move to the new arena)."

Thomas & Mack Executive Director Mike Newcomb, who is overseeing a $72 million improvement project at Thomas & Mack, said his arena is disappointed about losing the PBR World Finals.

"Of course we are disappointed, but we have been expecting this result for more than a year," Newcomb said Monday. "With the relationship between PBR and MGM, this is no surprise. We have faced similar situations over the years and it has always been the strength of our team to overcome and find new content."

Newcomb did defend the sight lines of Thomas & Mack: "I don't know the configuration of the new venue, but (I) would question that the sight lines are better than Thomas and Mack. I'm not sure how angle affects distance."

Gerry Bomotti, UNLV senior vice president for finance and business, expects other Thomas & Mack event producers will look hard at the MGM-AEG arena.

"The history of event venues like this in Las Vegas shows that there is always some transition like this with new facilities. Early on, the TMC had mostly concerts and fights as outside events, and over the years those types of events have transitioned to other venues in town. Those other venues in town, however, also expanded the total number of events and tourists that came to Las Vegas, and in the end I expect that is what will happen with the new MGM arena," Bomotti said.

Thomas & Mack is the home to the UNLV basketball team, the National Finals Rodeo and the NBA Summer League. The NFR just renewed its deal at Thomas & Mack for 10 years. The NBA Summer League broke attendance records at its event in July.

"We understand we have to be a good business partner with all our event sponsors/organizers, and so I would expect other events currently housed at the TMC will also be looking hard at the MGM facility, in large part because it is the shiny new facility in town and it would be unreasonable to think promoters/events sponsors would not look at it," Bomotti said. "I think the financial future for the TMC will continue to be positive, but in the business of special events the one thing you must expect is change."

The bulls used at the PBR World Finals typically are housed at South Point and are shuttled to the arena, where they will stay about three to four hours during the day of the event before they are taken back to South Point. Anywhere from 50-70 bulls are used for a World Finals event night, Gleason said. He noted there will be plenty of space at the new arena for the bulls to be stored during the day of the event.

Arpin said the new arena's massive loading area will easily handle the bulls and there's extra shady space on the New York-New York garage ground floor to temporarily store bulls during the day of a World Finals event.

The new arena's 2-acre plaza was also a draw for PBR to move, Gleason said. He said the plaza's built-in stage will allow for entertainment and sponsor activities.

"People want more than the event. They want the experience around it," Arpin said.

PBR was already working with MGM Resorts even before the arena deal because the bull riding organization also stages a spring event at MGM Resorts' outdoor festival site across from the Luxor on the Strip. But Gleason said PBR's spring event at the outdoor festival site is independent of the arena deal.

Contact Alan Snel at asnel@reviewjournal.com or 702-387-5273. Find him on Twitter: @BicycleManSnel