Press

When David Nedohin talks corporate goals, he's talking about nothing less than world domination.

Nedohin, at 34, is executive vice-president of StatusFirm Dynamic Media Group, an Edmonton-based technology and media company that has been expanding on a niche-based idea to package curling matches for enthusiasts either on an Internet subscription basis or to television networks to broadcast.

"Curling fans are passionate about their sport," he said during an interview at the company's computer- and camera-stuffed headquarters at 9932 81st Ave."

"TV can't cover enough for what fans want to see."

The naysayers said the market wasn't big enough -- but 15,000 to 20,000 people pay more than $75 a year to prove the pessimists wrong and StatusFirm has established formal relationships with the U.S. Curling Association, NBC, CBC and Rogers Sportsnet.

Edmonton Journal

Read More

When the National Hockey League shut down two seasons ago, Christopher Sealy's business plans looked finished.

It was the summer of 2004, and his Edmonton-based company, Statusfirm Inc., was in talks with the NHL to supply the league's millions of fans with websites for dozens of players, complete with video highlights that would act like a TV channel for each athlete. But when hockey's labour talks ground to a halt, so did the discussions.

Statusfirm suddenly needed a new strategy for the software it was developing, which made high quality Internet TV possible at a relatively low cost. Mr. Sealy's business partner, David Nedohin, suggested they take their idea to a sport on a different sheet of ice - curling. The fan base was smaller, but no less devoted.

When he wasn't working his day job as Statusfirm vice-president, Mr. Nedohin was a world-champion curler. He'd been around the sport long enough to know there were thousands of fans that would likely tune in to curling over the Internet, and many that would probably pay for the access.

Read More