ESPN has signed a three-year broadcasting deal with the Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League. Photo by Ed Kaiser /Postmedia Edmonton archive

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The Curling Group is pushing to draw eyeballs to the sport from all over the world.

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So getting ESPN on board to bring in an American audience is vital to the mission.

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And that’s been delivered with a three-year pact agreed between the mega sports station and TGC’s two top entities — the Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League — announced Wednesday …

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With open arms.

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“This agreement with ESPN represents a major milestone in our continued commitment to growing curling in the United States and around the world,” said Nic Sulsky, co-founder/CEO of The Curling Group. “By bringing both the Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League to ESPN, we ensure these incredible performances are available to a broader audience.”

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And how.

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Beginning this October, ESPN will become the U.S. streaming home of the Grand Slam of Curling, putting more than 300 hours of live curling coverage in front of American audiences during the 2026-27 season. All five Grand Slam events will be available on ESPN+ through the ESPN App.

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Team Tirinzoni celebrates its win in the final of the Grand Slam of Curling Players Championship in Toronto in this photo from April 2025. Photo by Anil Mungal /Postmedia archive

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For a sport that has traditionally been strongest in Canada and other curling-rich countries, the agreement represents a significant opportunity to introduce elite curling to a much broader audience.

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The Grand Slam is the sport’s premier annual series, bringing together the world’s best men’s and women’s teams. Olympic medallists, world champions and many of curling’s biggest stars compete throughout the season for the largest purse on the international curling calendar.

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Now, those performances will have a prominent new platform in the United States.

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But the partnership is about more than established curling.

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In January 2027, Rock League will also return to ESPN+ following its debut season last April. The franchise-based professional league is designed to give curling a new look, featuring a fast-paced team format and mixed-gender rosters.

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ESPN+ will stream Rock League’s complete season over select weeks from January through April, giving American viewers another entry point into a sport that can sometimes be difficult to discover outside its traditional markets.

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For The Curling Group, that combination is important.

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The Grand Slam offers the established stars, elite competition and international credibility. Rock League offers a more contemporary presentation aimed at expanding the sport’s appeal.

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Marlee Powers played for Team Shield in Rock League, the world’s first professional curling league. Postmedia archive

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Together, they give ESPN viewers two very different ways to get acquainted with curling.

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And that broader audience is the point.

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Curling has never lacked for passionate followers. Its challenge has been turning that passion into a truly global viewing audience. A recognizable sports brand such as ESPN provides an opportunity to put the game in front of millions of potential fans who may know the basics of curling but have never followed its elite competitions.

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The three-year agreement also provides something the sport needs as it looks beyond its traditional strongholds: consistency.

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Rather than a one-off broadcast experiment, the Grand Slam and Rock League will have a home on ESPN+ across multiple seasons, allowing audiences to discover the competitions, follow athletes and teams, and develop a habit of watching.

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Additional broadcast details and full event schedules will be announced before the seasons begin.

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For a sport intent on putting the world on board, getting ESPN there may be one of the biggest piece yet.

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