The Curling Group (TCG), the new owner of Canada’s Grand Slam of Curling series, has announced the launch of the world’s first professional curling league.
The Rock League will debut in April 2026 as a multi-format competition featuring six mixed-gendered global franchises, with the season running for six weeks.
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The inaugural season will come shortly after the 2026 Milano-Cortina Winter Olympic Games, and the 2026 Curling World Championships.
Each week of play is set to take place in a different location, with plans for events in Canada, the US, and Europe.
TCG co-founder and chief executive Nic Sulsky has said: “Rock League is a reflection of The Curling Group’s vision to professionalize and evolve the sport of curling, uniting fans and athletes from around the world.
“We’re building a global stage where elite play and passion for the sport collide. Today’s announcement is just the beginning, with many more details to come, as we work to build a premium experience that will elevate the game for all.”
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By GlobalDataThe first six franchises will be initially owned by TCG and will be organized by region, with two teams from Canada, two from Europe, one from Asia-Pacific, and one from the US. Each franchise will include five male and five female curlers.
Official team names, event formats, dates, locations, and broadcast information will be announced over the coming months.
TGC was launched in April 2024, co-founded by Sulsky, the former chief commercial officer of PointsBet Canada, the exclusive partner of Curling Canada, and sports, media, and entertainment veteran Mike Cotton.
It is backed by international curlers looking to invest in growing the sport internationally.
The venture’s board of directors includes: Maryann Turcke, former chief operations officer of American football's NFL and former president of Bell Media; John Albright, managing partner of startup investors Relay Ventures; John Kawaja, former head of North American marketing at sports giant Adidas; and Nicole Musicco, former partner at private equity firm RedBird Capital.
Its first move was to acquire GSOC from Rogers-owned Canadian media giant Sportsnet the same month alongside other investors, including two-time Olympic curling gold medalist John Morris and former NFL defensive end Jared Allen.
That series is due to run five events during the 2025-26 season from September to January before the start of the winter Olympics.
TCG then raised $5 million in seed funding to broaden the sport’s global reach in September.
The venture held two new events earlier this month – the Rio Mare Battle of the Sexes charity match and the TCG All-Star Game, its first international event.
