CBC to Broadcast Alberta, BC Provincial Curling Championships

The Curling News has learned that CBC Sports will broadcast the men’s and women’s provincial fours curling championships in both Alberta and British Columbia.

Both championships take place from Jan. 11-17 – the 2027 RME Alberta Summit of Champions at Drayton Valley, and the 2027 BC Championships from Chilliwack.

Coverage plans call for games to be streamed on CBC Gem.

This is CBC’s first foray into provincial championship coverage, a space that usually features a myriad of regional linear and streaming platforms. 

The last national broadcaster to attempt provincial curling coverage was Sportsnet. After purchasing the Grand Slam of Curling property in 2013, Sportsnet inked 10-year provincial coverage agreements with B.C., Alberta, Manitoba and Ontario. 

The final Sportsnet provincials took place in Alberta and Manitoba in 2020, just a month before the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic.

SKYCRON, a professional media production company, will provide all production for the Alberta provincials. SKYCRON serves Alberta and Saskatchewan and specializes in broadcast-quality livestreaming, television production, corporate event coverage and multi-camera sports production. 

Its team has produced content for major television networks and sports platforms including NBC, CBS, FOX, ABC affiliates, Game+ and the Silver State Sports & Entertainment Network.

“We are proud to partner with Curling Alberta and support the continued growth of curling,” said Cory Carlick, Account Manager and Chief Production Manager, SKYCRON in a Curling Alberta news release. “Alberta has an incredible curling community, and we see a tremendous opportunity to deliver a Skycron Live broadcast that captures the competition, personalities, and atmosphere that make this championship special.” 

Two other combined men’s and women’s provincial fours championships will wind up on that same 2027 weekend – Saskatchewan (Lloydminster) and Ontario (Cornwall).

Canada’s provincial fours championships declare a winner who heads directly to the national championships, the Scotties Tournament of Hearts in Charlottetown, PEI in February and the 100th Brier at Saskatoon, Sask. in March.

Earlier, CBC and Sportsnet were confirmed as linear and streaming carriers of both the Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League properties, while ESPN+ was recently announced as U.S. rights holder.