NFL legend Jared Allen and Unisports Group bet on curling with Curling Group acquisition — 400% growth and CBC deal

Unisports Group takes control stake in Curling Group

Unisports Group has announced a control investment in the Curling Group, the entity behind the Grand Slams of Curling and the Rock League. Jared Allen, the retired NFL defensive end who co-founded the Curling Group alongside CEO Nick Selske, frames the bet simply: curling is chronically underfunded, its fan base is unusually loyal, and the sport is structurally well-suited to television and social media in ways that most properties aren't.

400% growth and over 100 million social views from the first Grand Slam events are the numbers Unisports is leaning on. The deal also comes bundled with a five-year CBC deal for 300-plus hours of annual content in Canada, replacing Hockey Night in Canada across several programming slots, and coverage on ESPN+ and ESPN in the US.

“We bought the Grand Slams of Curling. We got the Rock League. We just announced 300-plus hours of content on CBC in Canada — a five year deal replacing Hockey Night in Canada on many programs. The numbers are kind of off the charts — 400-plus percent growth, over 100 million social views from the first event.”

Why curling works on screen

The sport's TV-friendliness is a genuine structural argument, not just promotional framing. Because curling rewards educated viewers, commentary does real work, turning casual exposure into fan acquisition. Allen and Rader both point to this as a reason the content investment isn't a cost drag — the sport was effectively built for broadcast. A single curling shot is short, vertically frameable, and clip-ready, which plays well on social without requiring production overhead.

Female viewership is already outpacing male viewership at recent Grand Slam events, which broadens the sponsor appeal beyond the typical sports demographic.

Revenue model

Sponsorship is the primary driver, with live events and media rights as supporting layers. Rader draws the comparison to the X Games League, where Unisports saw nearly 80% year-over-year growth in season one by layering a competitive league structure on top of an existing property. The thesis is the same here: take an asset with an established Canadian fan base, add Rock League as the engagement layer, and let the CBC deal do the heavy lifting on reach.

Prediction markets are on the radar but treated as incremental — Rader is explicit that the investment was not underwritten on gambling upside.

US growth path

The near-term US strategy centers on smaller markets where curling isn't competing for attention. Rock League events are booked in Kalamazoo, Michigan and Utica, New York to open the season. The idea is grassroots — bring the live experience to markets that don't have a crowded sports calendar, generate local excitement, and let social amplify outward.

Canada is the floor. The existing fan base and the CBC volume make the downside case manageable. The US upside depends on social growth continuing and participation expanding in Midwest and Northern markets where indoor ice is cheaper to maintain.

The personality gap

Allen is candid that building stars is the sport's clearest challenge in the US. Curling has a professional culture gap — elite international programs like Scotland's national facility have invested heavily in conditioning and discipline, but the sport's old-timer culture ran on a different operating model entirely. Allen's read is that younger athletes are professionalizing fast, and that rivalries like the Jacobs-Switzerland flashpoint at the Olympics are exactly the kind of raw material Rock League needs to market around. The mic'd-up broadcast format on CBC should accelerate that, giving audiences a reason to attach to individual athletes rather than just the sport in the abstract.