1.2 Million Watch Kevin Martin Qualify for 2010 Winter Games
          – 872,000 Canadians watch Alberta’s Cheryl Bernard win the right to represent Canada at the Games –
        – TSN’s average audience for the TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS was an impressive 496,000 viewers –

Toronto, ON (TSN/CCA) -Viewers hurried hard to TSN this past weekend. Preliminary overnight data from BBM Canada confirms that Kevin Martin’s victory over Glenn Howard during the TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS  men’s final attracted 1.2 million viewers.  It is the highest curling audience ever recorded on TSN and is almost double the audience for the Men’s Olympic Winter Games qualifier final in 2005 (693,000).*

TSN’s coverage of Saturday’s Women’s final featuring Cheryl Bernard taking on Shannon Kleibrink attracted 832,000 viewers. This is 49% higher than the audience for the Women’s Olympic Winter Games qualifier final in 2005 (559,000).*

Featuring the cream of Canada’s curling crop, TSN and TSN2 had complete and exclusive coverage of the TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS over the past week. The overall audience for the tournament over 20 draws was an impressive 496,000 viewers.

TSN gives curling fans a look at a possible 2010 Winter Games Gold Medal match-up when Kevin Martin takes on Scotland’s David Murdoch at next month’s CASINO RAMA CURLING SKINS GAME PRESENTED BY POKERSTARS.NET live on TSN.  The two-day, TSN-produced event takes place January 16 and 17 from Casino Rama in Rama, ON and also features other TIM HORTONS ROAR OF THE RINGS participants Glenn Howard and Randy Ferbey.

*Audiences prior to August 31, 2009 based on BBM Nielsen Media Research Mark II meters