Culture | Leagues of their own

Why the world is teeming with so many new sports leagues

Interest from fans and investors has led to a surge. But is it a winning strategy?

A professional bull rider competes on the opening night of the Professional Bull Riders (PBR) Camping World Team Series in New York City.
Photograph: Getty Images
|NEW YORK

The Barclays Centre usually hosts the Brooklyn Nets, a popular basketball team. But on a recent afternoon in August the arena was instead covered with 750 tonnes of carefully manicured dirt. It was the debut outing of the New York Mavericks, a new franchise in the Professional Bull-Riding (PBR) Teams league.

This article appeared in the Culture section of the print edition under the headline “Leagues of their own”

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