Curling will fill at least part of the void in CBC TV’s Saturday night winter schedule left by the departure of the NHL and Hockey Night in Canada from the public broadcaster.
CBC and Sportsnet have announced new five-year broadcast agreements with Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League that will see the two networks split coverage between them.
Starting in October, Sportsnet will televise three draws daily from Tuesday through Friday at every event, with the action moving to CBC, CBC Gem and Sportsnet+ for Saturday playoff games. Sportsnet will then pick up Sunday championship finals broadcasts. Morning round-robin games and tiebreakers (Tuesday-Saturday) will continue to be live-streamed via the league’s own Rock Channel.
Meanwhile, the Rock League – curling’s first professional, mixed-gender league – which made its debut on CBC in April, returns for a second season beginning in January, with games to be aired on CBC TV and CBC Gem, and select games available to stream via Radio-Canada’s ICI TOU.TV. Sportsnet will also air matches Thursdays and Fridays.
Nic Sulsky, CEO and Co-Founder of The Curling Group, which owns and operates both The Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League, said the new broadcast partnership will result in the most extensive television coverage the sport has ever received.
“This is a defining moment for the sport,” said Sulsky. “Sportsnet and CBC Sports see the opportunity to build on curling’s incredible heritage and momentum, helping introduce it to new audiences. Together, we’re delivering the most expansive linear television coverage in our history, giving Canadian fans more opportunities than ever to watch the world’s best curlers compete in the Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League.”
“CBC has a long history of curling coverage, and by providing a national platform to these premier curling tournaments for another five years, we hope to engage and entertain an even wider audience of fans,” added Chris Wilson, Executive Director, Sports and Olympics, CBC. “We’re excited to share another season of Rock League with audiences across Canada, building on the momentum and excitement of the inaugural event.”
CBC says the partnership reflects its commitment to increase coverage of Canada’s high-performance athletes, professional women’s sport and major sporting events. Announced in June, following word that Hockey Night in Canada would’t be returning to its television lineup, the public broadcaster has plans to launch a new primetime Saturday night show “featuring the best performances by Canadian athletes,” while Radio-Canada will debut Rendez-vous Podium, a new weekly show combining athletic performances with human stories.
