Seismic changes are coming to the Grand Slam of Curling and to the sport itself.
The Curling Group, a new venture backed by elite international curlers looking to invest in growing the sport, announced a deal with Sportsnet on Tuesday to acquire the series this from the broadcaster following the conclusion of this week's Princess Auto Players Championship.
The 2024-25 Grand Slam of Curling season will proceed as planned, with five events featuring top men's and women's teams from around the world.
“It has a legacy, a tradition, a history that you can't recreate,” Nic Sulsky, CEO of The Curling Group, said of the series. “The opportunity to take the Grand Slam of Curling to the next level, the opportunity to revive it and put some re-branding elements into it, the opportunity to inject a new level of energy – not just into the events themselves but also called it, the 'shoulder content' that surrounds all events – is an opportunity and one that my partners and I do not take lightly.
“Starting something from scratch, although it may be easier, in the end, being able to build the next stage in the evolution of the sport of curling, using the The history and tradition of the Grand Slams is something you can't just put a dollar amount on.”
Sulsky is no stranger to the sport, having been involved in curling as the Chief Commercial Officer of PointsBet Canada, which currently sponsors the teams of Brendan Bottcher and Kerri Einarson, and is an exclusive partner of Curling Canada. This online sportsbook is also the main sponsor of the PointsBet Invitational tournament.
Taking the sport to the next level is something Sulsky said he couldn't stop thinking about for years. He began talking to Sportsnet last summer about winning the Grand Slam of curling. According to the company's Vice President of Production Rob Corte, Sportsnet did not want to sell the series, but Sulsky's passion was appealing, as was the potential to stay active in the sport while prioritizing broadcasting events.
“The more we talked, the more it made sense,” Corte said. “It happened relatively quickly and it was a situation where the deal was beneficial for both sides. From a Sportsnet perspective, we retain the exclusive Canadian broadcast rights for the long term and that is extremely important to us. As for Nic, his incredible vision of what the world could be for the Grand Slam of Curling had us completely excited and we quickly made this a reality.”
The new venture's ownership group also includes sports, media and entertainment industry veteran Mike Cotton, two-time Olympic curling gold medalist John Morris and former NFL quarterback Jared Allen.
Sulsky has been good friends with Cotton for many years and got to know Morris when PointsBet sponsored Kevin Koe's team in 2022. After Morris retired from men's curling, Sulsky reached out to see if he wanted to continue do business with them or not.
“It's hard not to like and love John Morris,” Sulsky said. “I have had the great privilege of attending many sporting events and the like with athletes, with other famous people, but in my life I have never experienced anything comparable with entering a curling venue or a curling event with John Morris. It's like walking into a concert with one of the Beatles. It's really quite unbelievable.”
Sulsky said Allen is one of his favorite NFL players and the wheels started turning when he discovered the five-time Pro Bowler and four-time All-Pro selection is currently playing in the league curling and is looking to make the U.S. Olympic team.
“I loved his personality and was introduced to Jared,” Sulsky said. “He is authentic and passionate as a sports fan, athlete and investor – he is not an investor in The Curling Group but he has invested in several business ventures different – he is very genuine. We were successful.”
Ignore the legendary Jennifer Jones, who withdraw from the competition following the Princess Auto Players' Championship, will also join The Curling Group as a strategic advisor. Sulsky believes that her participation and contribution are indispensable.
“Being able to work with and pick the brain of one of the most legendary curlers in the sport not only allowed us to have insight that frankly I didn't have and hoped “Hopefully brings a level of integrity and trust in us not just to curlers but to the curling community that we're doing this for the right reasons,” Sulsky said. “The growth of women's curling has been incredible and let's face it, the growth of women's sport around the world has now become one of the hottest topics in the sports industry. sport in the last year or two and I don't think there's any difference with the sport of curling. Having the perspective not only from a true legend but also from an expert on the women's side of the sport was extremely important for us.”
Sportsnet has owned and operated the Grand Slam of Curling since 2012. Over the years, the series has expanded to include men's and women's tournaments in all of its events, while increasing the total The sponsorship money to allow the tournament to be divided equally between both divisions, Corte said he is most proud of under his supervision, along with the series relationship with his athletes.
“The curlers were at the forefront of every decision we made,” Corte said. “They are always involved because our goal is to grow the sport and develop the Grand Slam of curling. It's something we're very excited about with what The Curling Group has put together. They have a really strong advisory group led by great curlers: John Morris, Jennifer Jones. They are part of what Nic's team is planning and there are many other curlers who are and will be participating. With the world's best hair curlers leading the way, there's no way this can fail.”
Sulsky looks forward to supporting the continued growth of women's curling, citing Rachel Homan's unprecedented season of winning the Canadian and world championships, two Grand Slams and posting an unbelievable record of 62-5.
“I can't remember a curling team having the type of year she's had – and it's not just her but Emma too [Miskew]Sarah [Wilkes] and Tracy [Fleury]he say. “The year they are having is amazing and it is worth celebrating. I think now is the perfect time to really elevate not only the sport but the incredible women in the sport to the level they deserve.”
Corte admits hosting an international tournament is one of the things he wishes he could achieve, especially with the series set to host an event in Las Vegas in January 2021. Pandemic COVID-19 has put those plans on hold, but he hopes it's something the Curling Team will pursue.
“We were starting to gain momentum. This year's Grand Slam of Curling is having a great year, Corte said. “Our audience numbers increased significantly. For example, the 18-34 demographic grew 44% on air. The total audience increased by 16% compared to last year. Our motivation was there, but entering the international market was something of a challenge and it's something that I would be a little disappointed in looking back at because we were so close but it was Unfortunately, COVID put it on hold. We are working toward that goal, but we are not there yet, but I have a lot of confidence with The Curling Group and Nic's leadership that it will get done.”
While Sulsky isn't willing to publicly reveal specifics about any changes he hopes to make until he's had a chance to first discuss them with curlers, it seems like he's looking to make a huge impact on the sport. Sulsky believes traditionalism has held back curling's growth and admits some of the changes he has in mind may upset some longtime fans.
“The question that many fans of the more historic sport of curling will have to ask themselves is whether they want to see the sport they love step onto a truly global, exciting stage alongside a an incredible number of other sports that are growing, evolving, embracing all the new technologies and innovations that have been developed over the last decade,” Sulsky said. “Because that's exactly what we're going to do. We do this out of a love for the sport of curling but also out of place and the need to grow the sport – not just for the business side of the sport but also for itself. curling players.”
Sulsky also plans to go to court with other stakeholders, such as national and international regulators, to get them to recognize his cause.
“I hope they understand that we are doing this out of love for the sport and a desire to help take it to the next level,” he said. “Water lifts all boats. … The reality is we are planning to pump money, energy and visibility into this incredible sport. I have every hope and desire to collaborate with them and take them along on this journey. “It will take many years to get to where I think the sport can be and I am excited to partner and collaborate with all the organizations, brands, sponsors, curlers and international fans from around the world to help us achieve that goal.”
