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Could TSN’s expansion mean a bonanza for curling fans?
As is the case of super fans of any sport, curling aficionados can't get enough of the game they love. Looks like that's a theory that's about to be tested.
2014-15 is shaping up to be the most comprehensively covered curling season in the sport's history, in this country.
Already, fans are giddy with the anticipation of a fifth grand slam event and up to 200 hours of Grand Slam and provincial championship coverage on Sportsnet alone. With the addition of Kevin Martin to the fold as both commentator and marketer, Sportsnet's curling presence has shifted into a higher gear.
Now, in wades TSN with an announcement concerning the expansion of their services to five channels and the promise of much more coverage for lovers of the roaring game.
In a media release outlining the network's plans for filling five stations with content at the same time, curling fans were given this juicy little morsel:
"More choice of games and events taking place at the same time – including multiple curling sheets from Season of Champions events...."
Curling fans are about to get a little more variety. Just what that looks like, however, hasn't yet been clearly defined.
"As a priority property for TSN it’ll be one of the places we look to expand our coverage," said TSN's Vice President of Programming and Marketing, Shawn Redmond, of curling.
"Starting next season we’ll be looking to expand our coverage from the big events including multiple sheets in concurrent windows.”
Imagine tuning into a Scotties or Brier and having your choice between games to watch, rather than having that choice dictated by TSN's decision on a national game for consumption. While the network has always done a good job of updating games from other sheets while play is on, if the game you really wanted to watch wasn't the focus of the broadcast, you might have felt a little peeved, wanting more.
Before you get the idea that you'll be able to tune into any game during any draw next season, there might be limitations, at least for the foreseeable future.
It's possible that rather than hopping right into offering you your choice between all four games during any given draw, viewers will, instead, be able to flip between a main game and one alternative, and, quite possibly, not for every draw.
If the main network is carrying, say, Team Canada versus Manitoba but you'd rather watch full coverage of Saskatchewan versus Ontario or Newfoundland and Labrador versus Quebec, the choice could be yours. Or, you might have to choose between one of two games, rather than having the full run of all four sheets at your disposal.
“Our strategy is to deliver more to curling fans including multiple sheets, but the details of that are tough for me to outline right now. I’m not in a position to get into specifics,” said Redmond, noting that answers will come as the summer wears on.
“In general, one of the properties that will certainly benefit is curling, reiterated Redmond. "It’s just a matter of what that looks like as we get closer to these actual events.”
The number of extra games would not be the only thing uncertain right now. Manner of delivery (excuse the curling pun) is not a given either.
Will an extra sheet or two be covered by a play-by-play voice and colour analyst? Or will the secondary game(s) be sans announcers, perhaps with just the players mic'd up?
Regardless of how varied the television choices are in the immediate future, it will be interesting, indeed, to see how this new universe of expanded viewing options affects attendance at events like The Brier, Scotties and World Championships that are held in Canada.
There is a certain atmosphere that you get by actually attending a sporting event and curling is no exception. Will that lure be enough to keep fans clicking the turnstiles? Or will a deeper menu of televised curling entrees have fans plunking down in front of the boob tube instead of trekking to the rink even if the games are being held in their city? That a game you might want to watch was not on the television schedule might make you more likely to trot over to the arena. If, in the future, all games are offered on television or streaming through digital devices that could, potentially, harm live gates.
As the curling season gets closer and closer, expect more details to be outlined as to TSN's multi-game strategy for 2014-15.
Whatever the quantity and manner, it is certain that curling fans are going to get more coverage than ever before when next the pebble is down.
