TSN Inks Canadian Curling Rights Extension Through 2020

Bell Media’s TSN and the Canadian Curling Association (CCA) have agreed to a long-term multimedia rights extension. As part of the new deal, TSN will continue to be the home of curling in Canada through to the 2019-20 season with exclusive Canadian rights to Season of Champions events.

The new deal also includes extended 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 coverage. Multiple other components, such as Continental Cup coverage in Olympic years and guaranteed broadcasting of the new Pre-trials Road to the Roar, have also been established.

TSN and RDS will deliver live coverage of all Season of Champions events including the TIM HORTONS BRIER, SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS, FORD MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (in Canada) and MEN’S AND WOMEN’S WORLD CHAMPIONSHIPS (outside of Canada), CAPITAL ONE CANADA CUP, WORLD FINANCIAL GROUP CONTINENTAL CUP, M&M MEAT SHOPS CANADIAN JUNIORS along with enhanced coverage of the CAPITAL ONE ROAD TO THE ROAR and the TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS – the Olympic team qualifying tournament leading into the 2014 Olympic Winter Games in Sochi, Russia.

“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. This is one of the most significant items that the CCA has been able to achieve in our recent history,” says CCA CEO Greg Stremlaw. “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 extension includes a comprehensive suite of multimedia rights, including broadband, mobile, radio and video-on-demand.

“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,” says TSN President Stewart Johnston. “We are extremely proud that the CCA continues to put their trust in TSN. This early renewal shows their commitment to giving fans industry leading coverage and growing the sport across Canada.”

“RDS is thrilled to be a part of this exclusive deal with the CCA – giving the Francophone community more curling coverage than ever before,” says RDS President Gerry Frappier. “We are looking forward to growing the sport by giving fans exceptional coverage.”

TSN has been broadcasting curling since the network launched in 1984. The network became the exclusive broadcaster of Season of Champions events in 2008. Since then curling has become one of the most-watched sports on Canadian television registering record television audiences on TSN including:

•  2011 TIM HORTONS BRIER – averaged 685,000 viewers over the tournament
•  2011 SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS – averaged 514,000 viewers over the tournament
•  2010 TIM HORTONS BRIER FINAL – 1.56 million viewers
•  2010 SCOTTIES TOURNAMENT OF HEARTS FINAL – 1.74 million viewers
•  2009 TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS MEN’S FINAL – 1.2 million viewers

TSN’s 2011-12 curling coverage begins with the CAPITAL ONE CANADA CUP on December 3 and 4 (see TSN.ca for the full curling broadcast schedule).