Curling rinks stunned by cable TV hike
Local clubs say fee increase aimed at money-making sports bars too costly for them
“A real punch to the gut” and “cost prohibitive” is the reaction of curling clubs that will pay hundreds of dollars more to show sports on their lounge televisions.
The parent companies of TSN and Sportsnet, which broadcast a lot of curling, are charging licensed establishments with a capacity over 100 people more for both sports networks.
For the Mayflower Curling Club in Halifax, that’s an extra $450 a month. For the Shamrock Curling Club in Edmonton, it’s an increase from $900 to $4,200 per year. For Edmonton’s Crestwood Curling Club, it’s an additional of $2,100 a year.
“Such a sharp increase like this is a real punch to the gut,” Shamrock general manager Chris McTavish said.
If it doesn’t sound like a lot of money, Mayflower general manager Melanie Hughes says it would take nine new memberships to cover the additional $3,150 cost for a seven-month curling season.
“That’s cost prohibitive for us,” Hughes said. “It’s tough to get members. People don’t have a lot of disposal income to spend on recreation as great as it is.”
Montague Curling Club GM Larry Richards says the Prince Edward Island club can’t afford the extra $300 a month and thus won’t have cable sports on its televisions next winter.
Ottawa Curling Club board vice-president Eddie Chow said it would be difficult to axe their sports cable package. Canadian and world champion Rachel Homan curls out of the OCC and members would be upset they couldn’t watch the team on television at their own club, he said.
Curling Canada has launched a #NotASportsBar social media campaign encouraging curlers to contact Bell Media, Rogers Communications and Canada’s Minister of Sport Carla Qualtrough and tell them clubs are not the same as public bars looking to make a profit.
It’s an interesting position for Curling Canada to take given that TSN, a Bell Media-owned network, is the rightsholder for their major tournaments, including the Scotties Tournament of Hearts and the Tim Hortons Brier.
Sportsnet, a division of Rogers Communications, has the rights to the World Curling Tour’s $2-million Grand Slam of Curling.
“It’s delicate is the way I would put it,” Curling Canada chief executive officer Katherine Henderson said.
“They’ve been very fine partners of ours and to curling in the past. They’ve enjoyed a lot of benefit from curling as well, the tremendous amount of benefit and goodwill they get from our curling fans.”
Henderson says she understands why Rogers and Bell are seeking more money from sports bars that use live sports programming as a way to increase profits.
“My argument is ‘we’re not a sports bar,’ ” she said.
Henderson says she has spoken to both Bell and Rogers about consideration for curling clubs.
“We understand that not all establishments with a liquor licence are the same, just like not all curling clubs are the same,” Sportsnet director of communications Jordan Kerbel said in a statement to The Canadian Press.