UNA Sports Group Leads Eight-Figure Bet on The Curling Group

UNA Sports Group has led an eight-figure investment round in The Curling Group, the company behind the Grand Slam of Curling, Rock League and Rock Channel. Relay Ventures, a Canadian venture capital firm, joined the financing. Neither the exact amount, valuation nor ownership stakes were disclosed.

The deal gives UNA board-level influence. David Rader, UNA's co-founder, president and chief operating officer, joins The Curling Group's board of directors. Del Wright, UNA's co-founder, CEO and managing partner, will serve as a board observer.

UNA will also work with TCG's management on business strategy, commercial partnerships and expansion initiatives, including growing curling's audience and commercial operations in the United States.

Why curling, and why now?

The investment rides a steep growth curve across TCG's properties. At the Grand Slam of Curling's 2026 season opener in Victoria, British Columbia, the organization generated 105.5 million social media impressions — up 437% from the comparable 2025 event.

Video views rose 489% to 50.7 million. The event attracted nearly 118,000 new social media followers. Viewership of the women's final on CBC increased 203% year over year.

"We look for sports where fan demand is already strong and the commercial opportunity is just beginning to take shape, and curling is a perfect example," Rader said. "Curling's audience is growing, getting younger, and going global. The TCG team has built the pieces to serve it: a premium event series in the Grand Slam of Curling, a direct line to fans through Rock Channel, and a brand-new league in Rock League."

The audience skews female. Women account for roughly 54% of the Grand Slam's traditional television audience and 65% of Rock League's streaming audience, according to TCG.

What has TCG built so far?

The Curling Group has assembled a business spanning professional competitions, media rights, live events, sponsorships and direct-to-consumer content.

In 2024, TCG acquired the Grand Slam of Curling and its global media rights from Rogers Sportsnet. It then launched Rock Channel, a direct-to-fan media platform, and established Rock League — a professional competition with six mixed-gender franchises representing the United States, Canada, Europe and Asia Pacific.

Each Rock League franchise fields five male and five female athletes. TCG currently owns and operates all six teams.

How big is the broadcast footprint?

TCG has signed five-year agreements with CBC and Sportsnet that will deliver more than 300 hours of Grand Slam of Curling and Rock League coverage on Canadian television — roughly double previous levels.

A separate three-year deal with ESPN will bring more than 300 hours of live curling coverage to ESPN+ in the United States.

"Curling is woven into Canada's sporting identity, and we're building a modern sports entertainment company to take it to the world," said Nic Sulsky, co-founder and CEO of The Curling Group. "Partnering with a U.S.-based investor like UNA is a vote of confidence in the sport, and a bridge to the American market, where our audience is already growing fast."

Relay Ventures, which invests across financial technology, property technology, sports technology, media and gaming, joined the round as TCG prepares to expand Rock League's competition schedule.

"The best opportunities in sports are the ones hiding in plain sight, and curling has been hiding in plain sight for decades," said John Albright, co-founder and managing partner of Relay Ventures. "TCG has the assets, the audience, and now, with UNA, the partner to unlock it."

TCG's existing investors include Pro Football Hall of Famer Jared Allen, who also serves as an advisor to the company.

What comes next?

The financing lands just ahead of the Grand Slam of Curling Masters, which begins November 3.

Rock League, which debuted with a shortened season in April 2026, returns in January 2027 for its first full season. That schedule runs five events through April, including a U.S. debut in Utica, New York, and a championship round in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

UNA's broader portfolio includes the summer and winter X Games Club New York franchises in the MoonPay X Games League and a stake in Unrivaled, the women's professional three-on-three basketball league. The curling deal extends the same playbook: early money into emerging leagues with proven fan demand.