The long-term multimedia rights extension will see Bell Media-owned TSN continue to be the home of curling in Canada, with exclusive rights to Season of Champions events. The new deal also includes French-language coverage on Bell Media's RDS and RDS2 – ensuring more French-language curling coverage than ever before with 250 hours of Season of Champions programming. Financial details of the agreement have not been disclosed.
“The Canadian Curling Association is absolutely delighted to be announcing that our partnership with TSN has not only been extended, but also further enhanced for the long-term,” said CCA chief executive Greg Stremlaw. “This is one of the most significant items that the CCA has been able to achieve in our recent history.”
Stremlaw added: “This exclusive broadcast partnership with TSN, and now RDS, has provided an exceptional opportunity to further expose our sport to both existing and potential curling enthusiasts across Canada; grow our already significant programming hours; and ensure comprehensive broadcast stability for the next decade. The fact that approximately 250 hours of Season of Champions coverage will also be shown on French-language television is a wonderful success story for curling.”
The new deal includes broadband, mobile, radio and video-on-demand rights as well as television. TSN president Stewart Johnston added: “Curling is one of the top broadcast properties in Canada and has been a cornerstone on TSN since day one. Locking in such a solid audience driver on a long-term extension further strengthens TSN's leadership in the marketplace for years to come. This early renewal shows their commitment to giving fans industry leading coverage and growing the sport across Canada.”
