The Grand Slam of Curling season begins this Tuesday in Victoria at the Co-op Invitational. The tour is debuting a revamped broadcast crew following the retirement of Rob Faulds and the departure of several veteran analysts.
From Rob Faulds to Darren Dupont and John Cullen
The broadcast booth is undergoing a significant transition as the Grand Slam of Curling moves past the era of longtime host Rob Faulds, who retired last summer. according to the report, veteran analysts Kevin Martin and Mike Harris are also departing their previous roles, leaving a void that The Curling Group is filling with a mix of fresh faces and established players.
Darren Dupont, who brings experience from the Saskatchewan curling championships as well as Western Hockey League and Canadian university football broadcasting, joins John Cullen for play-by-play duties. Cullen is a relatively new addition to live television, having made his debut on CBC with Rock League last April,while also serving as a podcast host and a voice for The Curling Group's Rock Channel over the past two seasons.
Brad Gushue's Leap from High-Performance Director to the Booth
The new analytical team leans heavily on recent competitive expertise. Brad Gushue, who retired this year and currently serves as the high-performance director for USA Curling, is stepping into a more prominent broadcasting role. Gushue admitted in a recent interview that he is still "learning the ropes" and asked viewers to bear with him during the initial events, tohugh he expressed confidence in his strategic knowledge of the game.
Gushue joins a crew that includes Jennifer Jones, who has been with the Grand Slam broadcast team since her 2024 retirement, and Joanne Courtney, a TSN analyst since 2023. Brent Laing also joins the fold; while Laing has provided streaming coverage for the Grand Slam since 2024, this season marks his first foray into live television broadcasting.
The Split Between Sportsnet, CBC, and the Rock Channel
The distribution of the Grand Slam of Curling is becoming increasingly fragmented as the organization pursues a multi-platform growth strategy. As the report says, Sportsnet remains the primary domestic rights-holder, but CBC has now joined the mix to cover select Sunday finals and some Saturday draws. This hybrid approach suggests a desire to maintain broad reach while diversifying the audience.
For the more dedicated fanbase, morning weekday draws and tiebreakers will be exclusive to the Rock Channel for subscribers. Internationally, the tour is expanding its footprint via DAZN and the ESPN+ streaming service in the United States. One notable highlight of the U.S. coverage is a Thursday match between American Danny Casper and Winnipeg's Matt Dunstone, which will air on ESPNU, a channel typically reserved for college sports.
The Road from Victoria to the Players' Cup in Kingston
The five-event circuit begins in Victoria and will move through several Canadian cities over the next two months. Following the Co-op Invitational, the GSOC Masters will take place in Medicine Hat, Alberta, from Nov. 3-8, followed by the GSOC National in Sydney, Nova Scotia, from Nov. 17-22. The season concludes with the GSOC Open in Thunder Bay, Ontario (Dec. 1-6), and the Players' Cup in Kingston, Ontario (Dec. 15-20).
The comppetitive field remains stacked with Canadian talent. The women's draw features skips Rachel Homan of Ottawa, Kerri Einarson of Gimli, and Victoria-based skips Kayla MacMillan and Taylor Reese-Hansen. The 16-team men's field is led by reigning Olympic champion Brad Jacobs of Sault Ste. Marie, alongside Kevin Koe of Calgary, John Epping of Toronto, Brendan Bottcher of Edmonton, and Matt Dunstone.
Will the Rock Channel's Subscription Model Expand the Fanbase?
While The Curling Group CEO Nic Sulsky has emphasized a desire to innovate and grow, the shift of weekday content to the subscription-based Rock Channel raises questions about accessibility. It remains unclear if this paywall will alienate casual viewers who previously relied on linear television, or if the niche appeal of the sport is strong enough to drive subscription growth. Furthermore, the source does not detail the specific pricing or the projected growth targets for these streaming services.
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