Wall to wall coverage starts in PEI

Grand Slam of Curling fans will get to watch every game from all event draws this season, including on the first days of competition not broadcast by Sportsnet.

The Curling Group, new owners of the event series, have announced a streaming initiative that sees a digital livestream of all Grand Slam draws starting on day one of the HearingLife Tour Challenge in Charlottetown, beginning Oct. 1 and running throughout the 2024-25 season.

Podcaster and two-time BC men’s finalist John Cullen will handle the play by play, with Olympian and world champion Brent Laing on colour commentary. The Canadians will be also be joined by another analyst, 2018 Olympic champion Tyler George of the United States.

Additional guest commentary will be provided by current and former Slam competitors.

The streams will be available worldwide, initially in free preview, on the Grand Slam website.

In addition, fans will be able to rewatch streamed matches any time via the Slam YouTube channel.

The host platform is Regina-based HomeTeam Live, which offers streaming software that provides broadcast quality video for amateur sports. The software package allows additional content and advertising, and streams high definition local content to major broadcasters to maintain compliance with Canadian Radio Telecommunications Commission regulations.

Curling fans have been clamouring for wire-to-wire Slam coverage since the series debuted in the fall of 2002. Prior to this season, games began on a Tuesday or Wednesday but didn’t appear on Sportsnet (or CBC, back in the day) until the Thursday afternoon, with some women’s and men’s fours teams battling elimination and others clinching playoff berths.

International partners will be able to carry the TCG feed and add their own language commentary, which is sure to increase the number of international fans.

Streaming portals are open to all four opening games of the HearingLife Tour Challenge on the morning of Oct. 1—Retornaz (ITA) vs Dropkin (USA), Edin (SWE) vs Carruthers (CAN), Mouat (SCO) vs Bryce (SCO) and the sole women’s first game, Hasselborg (SWE) vs Fujisawa (JPN).

The streams were first tested back in July, at the North Bay Granite Club in northern Ontario.