Big bucks and Kawaja’s return
Big news about big bucks (no whammies) and the return of a curling legend.
The Curling Group, fresh owners of the Grand Slam of Curling sports property, have announced US$5 million in seed funding to “take the sport of curling to new heights through strategic investments, innovation, and content production that will broaden the sport’s global reach.”
The round was led by Toronto-based venture capital firm Relay Ventures.
Today’s news also includes the formation of a new board of directors, which includes a Canadian curling legend now based in the United States.
John Kawaja, the two-time world champion with skip Eddie Werenich, was announced as a board member along with TCG CEO Nic Sulsky, Relay Ventures Managing Partner John Albright, Maryann Turcke and Nicole Musicco.
Turcke is a former COO of the National Football League and President of Bell Media, while Musicco is a former Chief Investment Officer of CalPERS and a former partner at Redbird Capital.
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Kawaja has a vast resume in golf as the current president of G/FORE and former president of TaylorMade after decades spent at adidas.
He was also a consultant for LIV Golf and the European Tour.
“Curling has global reach and is ready to go to the ‘next level’,” said Kawaja. “As a former curler who has watched the steady growth of the game over the past decades, I’m energized to be a part of curling’s next chapter by supercharging the sport for fans around the globe.”
The Curling Group was co-founded by sports, media and entertainment industry veterans Nic Sulsky and Mike Cotton in April of this year.
“Curling’s global image is long overdue for a makeover, and we’ve made it our goal at The Curling Group to provide a reimagined, elevated offering that matches the changing face of the sport,” said Sulsky.
“Today’s announcement will accelerate our plans to spark massive growth within the curling world, providing fans with more ways to engage with the sport through content creation and innovation, while identifying curling’s untapped monetization potential.”
In addition to strategic advisors like Jennifer Jones and John Morris, pro athletes including former NFL star Jared Allen and current NFL stars George Kittle and T.J. Hockenson are part of TCG’s initial group of investors.
“As the value of niche sports properties continues to rise, we are also seeing an evolution within the sports landscape on how fans choose to engage with content and on what platforms,” said Turcke.
“The Curling Group is well-positioned at the forefront of this evolution, bringing together industry leaders to identify innovative ways of reaching curling’s growing global fanbase.”
The new Grand Slam of Curling season begins Oct. 1 in Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island.