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Curling has long been easy to dismiss as an Olympic novelty for older generations. Our latest research for professional curling circuit, The Rock League, says otherwise. And the implications for media spend are worth paying attention to.
We polled more than 3,600 adults in the United States and Canada in late March 2026. What we found may make you rethink some assumptions about niche sporting audiences.
The Audience is Younger Than You Think
Curling sits at roughly 40% interest among the general population on both sides of the border, behind hockey, skiing, and figure skating. But that headline number buries the real story.
Millennials are already six times more aware of The Rock League than Boomers (24% vs. 4%). Gen Z sits at 18%. This isn’t a niche sport with an aging fanbase. It’s an undervalued property with a young one.
That audience is also primed for sports content generally. Separate Harris Poll research shows 70% of Gen Z identify as Olympics fans, and 59% say it’s cool to talk and post about it.
What Actually Hooks Young Fans
Precision, strategy, and teamwork are what fans of all ages say they love about curling. But younger fans add two things to that list that older ones largely don’t: athletes and rivalries.
In the U.S., around one third of Gen Z cited athletes as an appeal, and 21% cited team rivalries, both well ahead of older generations. In Canada, 20% of Gen Z and Millennials cited athletes (versus 6% of Boomers), and 16% cited rivalries (versus 11% of Boomers).
Gen Z in the U.S. are also the generation most likely to describe curling as “pretty chill.” That’s not faint praise; it’s useful positioning. Harris Poll research shows 79% of Gen Z say they don’t go looking for a vibe, but when they find one, they lean in hard.
Meet Them Where They Are
Gen Z attention is hard to buy. Curling seems to have some of it already, and awareness is still low enough that you’re not paying a premium to get in.
Athlete stories, rivalry content, short-form video are all formats Gen Z responds to and they’re also the most natural way to tell curling’s story. In fact, 70% of Gen Z say they’d watch a creator’s feed if they were co-streaming a sporting event.
On the live side: 55% of U.S. Millennials say they’d attend a pro curling event. Harris Poll data also shows Gen Z rates “creating spaces to gather and connect IRL” (47%) and “experiences they can attend” (41%) as top priorities for brands – both significantly higher than older generations. For marketers, that’s a pretty direct brief.
The Window Won’t Stay Open
The growth opportunity here is in the “somewhat interested” group. They’re a younger, digitally native audience that responds to exactly the kind of culture- and athlete-driven marketing that dominates modern sports sponsorship. The data points to a clear opportunity, but one that will get more expensive the longer you wait.
Find out more about The Rock League.
About This Research
This survey was conducted online within the United States and Canada by The Harris Poll on behalf of The Rock League from Mar 31- Apr 2, 2026, among 2,075 adults in the U.S. ages 18 and older and 1,527 adults in Canada. The sampling precision of Harris online polls is measured by using a Bayesian credible interval. For this study, the sample data is accurate to within +/- 2.7 percentage points using a 95% confidence level. For complete survey methodology, including weighting variables and subgroup sample sizes, please contact us.
