CNBC and Curling

Last Updated on Friday, 26 February 2010 15:13 Friday, 26 February 2010 15:13

CNBC Eric Dash of the New York Times writes how CNBC’s showing of the Olympic curling events after the market closes has captivated some of its business news viewers.

Dash writes, “Jake Siewert, a counselor to the Treasury secretary, Timothy F. Geithner, said curling provided a welcome respite from the usual shout-’em-down-style of business TV. ‘It’s better than that thing where they have eight people in a box screaming at each other,’ he said.

“Raj Atri, a research analyst at Bank of America, said the game’s plodding pace was a plus. Curling is so leisurely that he can easily multitask, with one eye on his Bloomberg terminal that provides financial data and another on a game.

“It never would’ve happened without CNBC — or, in all likelihood, at any other time of year.

“‘Let’s face it: if baseball and football were in the winter, nobody would be watching,’ said Robert P. Kelly, the chief executive of Bank of New York Mellon, who took up curling when he was growing up in Canada. He is a former ’skip’ — the player who usually directs the strategy during a game —and dispenses curling tips to employees.

“Like what? ‘What’s important,’ Mr. Kelly deadpanned. ‘To win — just like on Wall Street.’”