Battle of the Blades
Challenge:
In recent years, there has been a need to increase the interest and viewership of figure skating. Since the glory days of the 1990s the sport has endured greater scrutiny with the judging scandel of the 2002 Winter Olympics as well as a new but confusing judging system. The sport however still has huge potential and iSport CEO, Kevin Albrecht sought to find a solution to rekindle the love that Canadians have for the sport.
Solution:
After watching an episode of Dancing with the Stars, Kevin Albrecht and Sandra Bezic thought of a new television series called Battle of the Blades. The show would pair legendary hockey stars like Tie Domi and Craig Simpson with some of the most graceful figure skaters to step on the ice like Shae-Lynn Bourne and Jamie Sale. A seven-week partnership with CBC would allow the Canadian audience to vote on their favorite pairs as they were challenged every week with a new and exciting figure skating routine.
Result:
With hosts, Ron MacLean of Hockey Night in Canada and Kurt Browning, a legend on the ice himself, the show was a rating hit with an average of three million viewers per week. It became a truly Canadian hit series that was able to bring families together and sparked a renewed interest in the world of figure skating. The searies has been renewed for a second season.