It’s a quiet time of year for Saskatoon curling clubs, but a recent decision by Bell Media and Rogers is making quite a bit of noise.
The parent companies of TSN and Sportsnet will be charging more for licensed establishments with a capacity over 100 people to air the sports networks.
READ MORE: ‘We’re not a sports bar’: Canadian curling clubs blast cable bill hike
“To have a fee increase like this just to have sports on in the facility, it’s an impact, absolutely,” said Steve Turner, general manager of CN Curling Club.
The move is aimed at sports bars that take advantage of basic cable packages to show big sporting events to attract fans and profit, but curling clubs have been lumped into that category.
For CN, the increase will be close to $300 per month or around $3600 per year; a substantial increase for the non-profit club.
“Those dollars have to come from somewhere,” said Turner.
Get daily National news
“There’s only so many things we can put onto our existing membership in terms of fees.”
READ MORE: How much do you know about curling? Take our curling trivia quiz!
One of the issues faced by curling clubs is the lack of activity in the off-season. Some clubs have resorted to renting out their ice surface for special events like wedding receptions, but they’re limited to what they can do.
“So one of the things we were excited to try to do was a flea market, but our building isn’t zoned to do something like that,” Turner said.
Curling Canada has launched the #NOTASPORTSBAR campaign, urging people to email concerns in protest to Bell and Rogers.
“Sportsnet deeply appreciates the contributions curling clubs play in promoting the sport across the country and we value our relationship with the curling community. We understand that not all establishments with a liquor license are the same, just like not all curling clubs are the same, Jordan Kerbel, director of communications for Sportsnet, said.
“Curling Canada has expressed a legitimate concern and we reached out to them to discuss opportunities for their members. We look forward to working with them to find a solution.”
Bell Media also says they’re in discussions, and declined to comment any further.
As for CN Curling Club, Turner says his staff will have to take a good look at the budget once the heightened fee is implemented, and cutting the cable bill is on the table.
Comments