The Curling Group
The Curling Group is a Toronto-based sports business venture that owns the Grand Slam of Curling and launched Rock League, the world's first professional curling league, distributing content via its Rock Channel streaming platform and broadcast partners ESPN+, CBC Sports, and FanDuel Sports Network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2024
- HeadquartersToronto, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Curling Group does
The Curling Group is a Toronto-based sports business venture founded in 2024 that is building a vertically integrated portfolio of curling properties aimed at professionalizing the sport and driving year-round fan engagement beyond the quadrennial Olympic cycle. Its core assets are the Grand Slam of Curling — a prestigious annual tournament series acquired from Sportsnet in 2024 along with global media rights — and Rock League, the world's first professional curling league, which debuted in April 2026 with six mixed-gender franchises and 60 elite athletes including 39 Olympians and 25 Olympic medalists from 12 countries.
The company distributes content through a combination of an owned direct-to-consumer streaming platform (Rock Channel, launched September 2025 with a 24/7 FAST channel on The Roku Channel in Canada), exclusive broadcast partnerships with ESPN+ in the United States, CBC Sports in Canada (over 40 hours of live Rock League coverage), and FanDuel Sports Network (first US media partner for Grand Slam of Curling). Supporting properties include The Rock Shop e-commerce destination for premium merchandise and The Broom Brothers podcast hosted by former competitive curlers John Cullen and Robbie Doherty.
Monetization spans four primary streams: event ticket sales (single-game tickets starting at $19 CAD via Ticketmaster, plus weekend/event passes and Sheet Side VIP upgrades), media rights and licensing to broadcast partners, sponsorship and advertising (anchored by Crown Royal as GSOC title sponsor and Red Tiger Marketing as launch partner), and merchandise and apparel. The company has raised $11.3 million in seed funding (with a planned Series A in 2026) from investors including NFL stars George Kittle, T.J. Hockenson, Jared Allen, FJ Labs, and Relay Ventures, and is led by Co-Founder and CEO Nic Sulsky.
The Curling Group firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Curling Group
- Legal name
- The Curling Group
- Website
- https://thecurlinggroup.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2024
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- The Curling Group is a Toronto-based sports business venture that owns the Grand Slam of Curling and launched Rock League, the world's first professional curling league, distributing content via its Rock Channel streaming platform and broadcast partners ESPN+, CBC Sports, and FanDuel Sports Network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
The Curling Group industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Professional Sports League & Media
- NAICS
- Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Sports Rights Agencies & Brokers (Acquisition/Packaging) (MPABAJAH)
Keywords
Where The Curling Group is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Toronto
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
The Curling Group business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain
Revenue model
- Event Ticket Sales: Direct ticket sales for Rock League events and Grand Slam of Curling tournaments. Revenue generated from full-event passes, weekend passes, day passes, and single-game tickets.
- Media Rights & Broadcasting: Streaming and broadcast partnerships with ESPN+, CBC Sports, and FanDuel Sports Network for distribution of live curling events and original programming.
- Merchandise & Apparel: The Rock Shop merchandise and apparel sales including premium curling gear, exclusive merchandise, and ticket upgrade experiences like Sheet Side packages.
- Sponsorship & Advertising: Corporate sponsorship deals including Crown Royal partnership with Grand Slam of Curling and Red Tiger Marketing partnership for Rock League launch.
- Franchise Rights: Future plans to sell franchise rights for Rock League's six global franchises as the league expands.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Single-game tickets for Rock League events |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Event passes and VIP experiences |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Rock Channel streaming |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Curling Group product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Curling Group operates a vertically integrated portfolio of curling properties, including Rock League (the world's first professional curling league with six mixed-gender franchises), the Grand Slam of Curling tournament series (acquired from Sportsnet in 2024), and Rock Channel, a direct-to-consumer streaming platform for live and archived curling coverage. It also operates The Rock Shop e-commerce merchandise business, a podcast (The Broom Brothers), and licenses broadcast/media rights to networks such as ESPN+, CBC Sports, and FanDuel Sports Network.
Product overview
The Curling Group operates a platform-plus-events architecture centered on curling properties. The core portfolio includes Rock League (the world's first professional curling league launching April 2026 with six mixed-gender franchises), the Grand Slam of Curling (prestigious annual tournament series acquired in 2024), and Rock Channel (a streaming platform for live/archived GSOC events and Rock League coverage). Supporting properties include The Rock Shop (merchandise e-commerce) and The Broom Brothers (podcast). The company is pursuing a planned Series A funding round in 2026.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Rock League: World's first professional curling league featuring six elite mixed-gender global franchises, hitting the ice in April 2026.
- Grand Slam of Curling
- Rock Channel
- The Rock Shop
- The Broom Brothers
Products and services
- Rock League The world's first professional curling league, featuring six mixed-gender global franchises and competitions in men's, women's, mixed, and mixed doubles formats. Designed to deliver year-round elite curling competition and entertainment-forward presentation for fans and casual audiences.
- Grand Slam of Curling One of the most prestigious annual curling series, showcasing top-ranked teams from around the world. Acquired in 2024 and operated by The Curling Group with associated global media rights.
- Rock Channel Direct-to-consumer streaming platform offering free global access to live and archived Grand Slam of Curling events, Rock League coverage, exclusive original programming (e.g., Broom Brothers, Grand Slam of Karaoke), and 24/7 FAST channel delivery on supported platforms.
- The Rock Shop E-commerce destination for curling fans offering premium apparel, exclusive merchandise, official Rock League gear, and the Sheet Side premium experience upgrade ticket packages.
- The Broom Brothers Podcast Original curling commentary and interview podcast co-hosted by former competitive curlers John Cullen and Robbie Doherty, distributed as part of Rock Channel's original programming slate.
Quantifiable outcome
- 168% increase in streaming viewership year-over-year
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Curling Group
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
The Curling Group technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
Feature2 records
The Curling Group partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- ESPN+coreESPN+ serves as the exclusive streaming partner for Rock League's inaugural 2026 season in the United States. All Rock League games are streamed on ESPN+ beginning April 6, 2026, providing American audiences access to curling's first professional league.
- CBC SportscoreCBC Sports provides exclusive Canadian coverage of Rock League's inaugural season with over 40 hours of live streaming on CBC Gem, cbcsports.ca, and CBC Sports YouTube. National TV broadcasts of playoffs, semifinals, and championship matches included in the partnership.
- Crown RoyalmajorCrown Royal partners with the Grand Slam of Curling, providing corporate sponsorship and brand association with GSOC events. Represents a major brand partnership for TCG's premier curling tournament series.
- The RealestminorPartnership with The Realest on curling memorabilia and trading card series, creating collectible products for fans. Co-branded merchandise and memorabilia collaboration.
- FanDuel Sports NetworkcoreFirst U.S. media partner for Grand Slam of Curling, bringing elite curling action to American audiences through the FanDuel Sports Network. Represents GSOC's inaugural U.S. broadcast partnership.
- The Roku ChannelminorRock Channel's 24/7 FAST (free, ad-supported streaming) channel launches on The Roku Channel in Canada, expanding reach through established streaming platform distribution.
- Scottish CurlingminorInaugural partnership with Scottish Curling to stream exclusive content on Rock Channel, including the 2026 Scottish Curling Championships (February 24-28). Scottish Curling serves as a content partner and federation relationship for the streaming platform.
- Red Tiger MarketingmajorMarketing partnership supporting the launch of Rock League, the world's first professional curling league. Red Tiger Marketing serves as a marketing agency partner for the league launch and promotional activities.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
The Curling Group competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Endeavor Group Holdings: Global sports and entertainment conglomerate owning UFC, PBR, and IMG. Comparable as a strategic acquirer or partner for TCG given overlapping interest in niche professional leagues, athlete IP, and sports rights packaging.
- FloSports: Subscription streaming platform specializing in niche and emerging sports including Olympic disciplines. Comparable as a vertical streaming destination for underserved sports audiences, though broader and older than TCG's owned-and-operated Rock Channel.
- TKO Group Holdings: Operator of UFC and WWE professional combat sports leagues with vertically integrated media, events, and merchandise. Comparable as a publicly listed roll-up of niche-sport league assets with similar revenue mix (media rights, tickets, sponsorship, merchandise).
- DAZN: Global sports streaming platform that aggregates rights for multiple sports including boxing and niche properties. Comparable as a potential distribution partner or acquisition target for TCG's international rights; broader in scope but analogous in streaming-first niche-sports strategy.
Emerging players
- United Football League (XFL/UFL): Spring professional American football league that similarly attempts to professionalize an underserved sports calendar window with broadcast partnerships (Fox/ESPN). Comparable as a recently launched league with major U.S. media partners targeting Olympic- or seasonal-adjacent fan attention.
Direct peers
- Professional Bull Riders (PBR): PBR professionalized a niche Western sport into a televised, ticketed league with global broadcast deals and athlete-franchise economics. Comparable as a league that took a niche sport mainstream via media partnerships, athlete IP, and event-based revenue.
- World Surf League: Professional surfing league that similarly transformed an Olympic-adjacent niche sport into a vertically integrated, streaming-amplified league property. Directly comparable as a first-mover professional league in a non-top-tier Olympic sport, monetizing via media rights, events, and owned content.
- Major League Rugby: U.S.-based professional rugby league with franchise model, broadcast partnerships, and Olympic-adjacent sport positioning. Comparable as another attempt to professionalize a niche Olympic sport with limited North American fan base.
- Athletes Unlimited: Innovative professional sports network using rotating team formats across multiple sports, with strong emphasis on athlete-driven content and streaming. Comparable for its format innovation and Olympic-talent recruitment, though operates across multiple sports rather than specializing in one.
- Premier Lacrosse League: Tour-based professional lacrosse league launched in 2019 with backing from high-profile investors and a streaming-first media strategy. Highly comparable in business model (tour format, streaming-first distribution, athlete-led storytelling) to Rock League's tour-style inaugural season.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
The Curling Group social profiles
Digital presenceThe Curling Group financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Curling Group leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
The Curling Group subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries5 records
The Curling Group funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Curling Group M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about The Curling Group
What does The Curling Group do?
The Curling Group operates a vertically integrated portfolio of curling properties, including Rock League (the world's first professional curling league with six mixed-gender franchises), the Grand Slam of Curling tournament series (acquired from Sportsnet in 2024), and Rock Channel, a direct-to-consumer streaming platform for live and archived curling coverage. It also operates The Rock Shop e-commerce merchandise business, a podcast (The Broom Brothers), and licenses broadcast/media rights to networks such as ESPN+, CBC Sports, and FanDuel Sports Network.
Is The Curling Group a public or private company?
The Curling Group is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was The Curling Group founded?
The Curling Group was founded in 2024. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is The Curling Group based?
The Curling Group is headquartered in Toronto, Canada, in the North America region.
How does The Curling Group make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Event Ticket Sales are the primary driver. The others are media Rights & Broadcasting, merchandise & Apparel, sponsorship & Advertising and franchise Rights.
Who are The Curling Group's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Endeavor Group Holdings, FloSports, TKO Group Holdings and DAZN. United Football League (XFL/UFL) is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Professional Bull Riders (PBR), World Surf League, Major League Rugby, Athletes Unlimited and Premier Lacrosse League.
Does The Curling Group have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Curling Group.
What industry is The Curling Group in?
The Curling Group's product category is Professional Sports League & Media. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPABAJAH, Sports Rights Agencies & Brokers (Acquisition/Packaging). Its NAICS code is 711211 and its SIC code is 7997.