Tradition and a potential for growth

The game of curling is more than 500 years old and has a rich history. Today Curling is played throughout the world - the popularity of the sport is increasing all the time, along with the global expansion of winter sports. The sport is most fi rmly established in Canada, Scotland and Switzerland and is growing fast in Eastern Europe and Asia.

Increasing popularity

The competition between two teams of four, played with stones on ice, was featured at the fi rst Olympic Winter Games in Chamonix, France in 1924 when the Outdoor Men’s Curling Competition was won by Great Britain. After a gap of 74 years, it returned as an Olympic Winter Sport at the 1998 Nagano Winter Games, with both men’s and women’s tournaments.

Becoming an offi cial Olympic sport, improvements in ice making and changes in the rules to make the game more attractive to spectators, and to promote complex strategy, have increased the popularity of the sport and its television audiences.

Continuing a decade long trend, the 2006 Olympic Winter Games in Torino saw curling receive tremendous international exposure and exceptional TV audiences around the world.

Curling as a TV sport

Interest in curling is growing, as the sport becomes more international. As well as the traditional winter sports countries, Asian teams have already qualifi ed for the World Curling Championships and they will continue to do so and increase performance at future events. Among the top countries are Canada, Denmark, Germany, Scotland, Sweden, Switzerland, USA, and competitive countries from Asia including China, Japan and Korea.

Curling is an attractive television sport. The competition is direct and simple, making comparison easy for the spectator, who can soon pick up the essentials of the sport. Players’ voices can be heard by the viewers, making them feel very much part of the game. The tension is prolonged and the excitement builds-the attributes needed for competitive curling include mental strength, physical endurance, precision and tactical ability.

A schedule of top events

There is an annual schedule of international events at the World Curling Championships and European Curling Championships level, for both men and women.

The annual World Curling Championships involve the top 12 curling countries in the world. Each Championship takes nine days and is played to a round robin format to determine the qualifi cation for the fi nal rounds. While the Women’s World Curling Championship is played in March each year the men’s event takes place in April.

The European Curling Championships are taking place each December and are split into A and B groups where group A contains the top ten national teams. The fi nal top 8 countries of group A for men and women qualify for the next World Curling Championship.

Forthcoming schedule

2008 LE GRUYÈRE European Curling Championships
6 — 13 Dec in Örnsköldsvik (SWE)

2009 World Women’s Curling Championship
21 — 29 Mar in Gangneung (KOR)

2009 Ford World Men’s Curling Championship
4 — 12 Apr in Moncton, New Brunswick (CAN)

2009 European Curling Championships
5 — 12 Dec in Aberdeen (SCO)

2010 Ford World Women’s Curling Championship
20 — 28 Mar in Canada

2010 World Men’s Curling Championship
3 — 11 Apr in Cortina (ITA)

2010 European Curling Championships
4 — 11 Dec in Champéry (SUI)

Infront Sports & Media is the “Official Media and Marketing Partner of the World Curling Federation”. Infront is offering all media and marketing rights to forthcoming WCF events until 2011.