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Three Canadian TV providers filed a complaint with the CRTC alleging Rogers acted anti-competitively by charging an extra $12.99 per month for Monday night NHL games on Sportsnet Plus.
By Hermes Vector
Three Canadian television providers have filed a complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission over Rogers Communications Inc.'s move to put Monday night NHL games exclusively on its Sportsnet Plus streaming service.
Cogeco Inc., Eastlink and SaskTel filed the complaint on Tuesday, alleging that Rogers acted in an anti-competitive manner by introducing a surcharge this season. The companies say fans who subscribe to Sportsnet through a traditional TV provider are served alternate programming, such as NBA games or highlight shows, while Monday night NHL games are available only to Sportsnet Plus subscribers or to customers of Rogers TV and Rogers Xfinity.
The complaint cites a $12.99 monthly add-on fee for access to Monday night hockey games. Sportsnet Plus retails for $35 to $45 per month, according to reporting cited in the filing.
In their filing, the three cable companies said that, if the commission does not step in "with swift and decisive regulatory intervention," the "predatory siphoning of must-have live sports content … will inflict immediate and irreversible structural damage on the Canadian broadcasting ecosystem."
The filing continues, "What begins today as a handful of regular-season NHL games and playoff rounds will inevitably escalate to the Stanley Cup finals and the season finale of hit TV shows, creating an unchecked slippery slope that starves independent BDUs of vital content and dismantles the integrity of Canada’s entire broadcasting system."
Sportsnet spokesperson Jason Jackson said the company would address all issues raised through the CRTC proceeding, "including Sportsnet’s right to distribute content exclusively on Sportsnet Plus."
Jackson said, "Rogers Cable has paid Sportsnet fair market value to provide Sportsnet Plus exclusive content to their TV customers and decided to make it available to them at no extra cost."
He added, "All TV providers, including Cogeco, Eastlink and SaskTel, have the same opportunity to make the content available as part of their TV offering, but so far have chosen not to. Fans can contact their TV provider about this option."
Sportsnet did not immediately return a request for comment to The Globe and Mail.
The current NHL season marks the first under Rogers’ 12-year, $11-billion national TV rights deal for English broadcasts. Rogers also raised the annual cost of Sportsnet Plus for premium subscribers to $344.99, a $20 price hike after streaming subscribers were hit with a $75 increase to annual plans last season. The complaint also alleged that Rogers’ move violates conditions of its 2023 merger with Shaw, a $26-billion takeover approved by the CRTC subject to requirements that Rogers would preserve competitive market dynamics.
Sources
This article was drafted with AI assistance and checked against the sources above. Company claims are reported as claims. Cover image is AI-generated.
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