Advertising & Sponsored Content Policy

We take sponsorship. We do not let it change our editorial. Here's how we keep the line clear.

What is sponsored content?

Sponsored content is an article, podcast, or video where a brand pays Buckin' Rodeo to produce and publish a piece about their product, program, or story. This is different from affiliate links (where we earn a commission on a sale). See Affiliate Disclosure for that.

How you can tell

Every sponsored piece carries:

• A red "Sponsored by [Brand]" banner at the top of the article, above the title.
• A sponsor footer at the bottom of the piece with a link to the brand.
• A <meta name="advertising-disclosure"> tag in the page source.
• The article URL includes /sponsored/ in the path.

If a piece does not have that banner, it is independent editorial. Full stop.

What sponsors can ask for

• A piece about their product, their athlete roster, their event, or their history.
• Pre-publish review of factual accuracy about their brand (so we don't misstate dates, sponsors, or specs).
• Placement across a defined set of pages for a defined period.

What sponsors cannot ask for

• Editorial veto power over any non-sponsored article. We cover the sport as we see it.
• Removal of unfavorable coverage about a competitor.
• Coverage of independent stories disguised as editorial. If they pay, it's sponsored. If it's sponsored, it says so.

What we won't accept

• Sponsorships for products or services that are unsafe, illegal, or in a category we consider inappropriate for a rodeo audience (e.g., predatory lending, certain supplement claims, gambling products targeted at minors).
• Sponsorships for rodeo equipment we cannot verify as safe for its intended use.
• Any content that obscures the sponsorship. If we can't disclose it, we can't take it.

Display advertising

When we activate programmatic display ads (Ezoic, Mediavine, or Raptive), those ads are served by the network from their own inventory of advertisers. We do not individually vet programmatic ads. Ad-tech placements are clearly identifiable as ads, typically with "Advertisement" or "Sponsored" labels served by the network.

Questions from readers

Notice a piece that looks like it should be labeled but isn't? Email editorial@buckinrodeo.com. We investigate every report.

Advertiser questions

Interested in sponsoring a column, a tour week, or a season? Email sponsors@buckinrodeo.com.