Sports fans ‘flabbergasted’ after Sportsnet announces double-digit price hike

Canadian sports fans are tearing into Sportsnet after they learned its streaming service will be hiking prices by double digits before the next hockey season. 

Rogers Sports and Media announced in an email to customers Thursday that it will raise the annual price of its Sportsnet+ premium package by 30 per cent, from $249.99 to $324.99 plus tax, and its standard package by 25 per cent, from $199.99 to $249.99. 

The changes will take effect Sept. 9. 

Jason Pike, of Halifax, who runs a Boston Bruins fan podcast, told CBC News he cancelled his subscription as soon as he saw the increase.

“When I saw the numbers, my jaw dropped. I looked at my wife and said, ‘Sportsnet’s going up 80 bucks,'” he said. “I was absolutely flabbergasted. I couldn’t believe it.”

Many customers have taken to social media to express their frustrations.

Pike says he primarily uses Sportsnet to stream hockey games, and he preferred the more affordable NHL Live streaming service that was discontinued in 2022.

Sportsnet is the only streaming service offering many NHL games through the regular season and playoffs. The standard package offers national and regional in-market games, and the premium package adds about 1,000 games from other markets.

Pike says he’ll be looking for alternatives to watch the upcoming season.

“There’s a lot of pirate sites out there. I’ve used them here and there, but they haven’t been a big thing in my life,” he said. “But now, well, you’re not leaving me a lot of options here.”

The service carries other sporting events, including NBA games, UFC cards and Toronto Blue Jays baseball games. 

Rogers Sports and Media did not offer a specific reason for the price increase.

“Sportsnet+ is the most comprehensive live sports streaming experience in Canada,” a Sportsnet spokesperson said in an email to CBC News. “This update reflects that great value for sports fans looking for the best sports content in the country, while remaining competitively priced with other options in the market.”

Monthly rates are also increasing: the premium package will jump from $34.99 to $42.99 plus tax, and the standard package will be bumped from $24.99 to $29.99 monthly. 

The change comes after Rogers bought the rights in April to broadcast NHL games across Canada for the next 12 years at a cost of $11 billion.

Its previous deal cost less than half that — $5.2 billion — for the same time frame, and it expires at the end of the 2025-26 hockey season.