Three television service providers are alleging that Rogers Communications Inc. has breached competition regulations and increased costs for Canadian sports enthusiasts by moving Monday night hockey games solely to its Sportsnet Plus streaming platform for the ongoing NHL season.
In a correspondence to Canada’s broadcasting authority on Tuesday, the firms—Cogeco Inc., Eastlink, and SaskTel—assert that Rogers is compelling fans to pay a monthly surcharge of $12.99 to watch hockey games on Monday evenings, unless they already have a subscription to Sportsnet through Rogers TV or Sportsnet Plus.
The competing providers are urging the CRTC to mandate that Rogers immediately make the content available to independent operators for distribution to their subscribers at no charge, thereby “ensuring parity” with Rogers’ offerings.
The letter stated, “Without prompt, decisive, and enforceable regulatory intervention from the commission, this predatory extraction of essential live sports content will cause immediate and irreversible damage to the Canadian broadcasting framework,” adding that inaction would set “a perilous precedent.”
“If left unregulated, this approach diminishes consumer options, forces Canadian families into mandatory fee increases, and disrupts fair market conditions.”
In September, Rogers disclosed that Monday night NHL games would stream only on its platform for the first time this season. It specified that customers of Rogers, Rogers West, and Shaw Direct who subscribe to Sportsnet in their TV packages would have access to this content at no extra cost.
The company also introduced three new digital channels featuring the exclusive content to Rogers Xfinity TV packages that include Sportsnet.
However, those who obtain Sportsnet from other television providers must pay an additional $12.99 monthly for the add-on package.
The competing TV providers claimed that this scenario is “deliberately degrading the viewing experience on other distributors’ platforms” and contributing to the “decline of sports on television,” as these companies struggle to create a coherent sports lineup for their subscribers.
They referred to it as a “predatory rate squeeze” that forces independent distributors to either “absorb significant content devaluation” or pass inflated expenses on to consumers.
“Therefore, the commission must act swiftly to put an end to Rogers’ anti-competitive practices to protect the integrity of the Canadian broadcasting system and defend the interests of Canadian consumers from coast to coast,” they emphasized.
In a statement, Sportsnet representative Jason Jackson indicated that the company would address all concerns raised during the CRTC proceeding, “including Sportsnet’s entitlement to distribute content exclusively on Sportsnet Plus.”
“Rogers Cable has compensated Sportsnet fairly for providing Sportsnet Plus exclusive content to their television customers and opted to make it accessible to them at no additional cost,” Jackson stated.
“All TV providers, including Cogeco, Eastlink, and SaskTel, have the same opportunity to offer this content as part of their TV services, but they have chosen not to do so. Fans can reach out to their TV provider regarding this option.”
The CRTC complaint also claimed that Rogers’ actions breach the stipulations of its 2023 merger with Shaw. The $26-billion acquisition was approved by the CRTC with the condition that Rogers would maintain competitive market conditions.
Specifically, the telecommunications giant committed to “avoid entering into any agreement for exclusive or preferential distribution of any online programming service or rights necessary for its distribution.”
However, the competing firms contend that Rogers is utilizing its national NHL media rights for multiplatform distribution “to provide preferential access to its own distribution network while effectively denying full linear carriage to independent (distributors).”
This NHL season marks the first under Rogers’ 12-year, $11-billion national TV rights deal for English-language broadcasts.
The exclusive transfer of Monday broadcasts to Rogers’ streaming service represents one of several significant alterations for hockey fans this season.
These changes include the termination of a sublicensing agreement that previously permitted Saturday night NHL broadcasts to be shown on CBC under the “Hockey Night in Canada” brand. Those games will continue to air on Sportsnet with a new branding of “Saturday Night Hockey.”
This marks the first occasion since the debut of Hockey Night in Canada in 1952 that NHL games are not accessible to Canadian viewers through the public broadcaster. The CBC plans to showcase Professional Women’s Hockey League games on Hockey Night in Canada this season.
Additionally, Rogers has increased the annual fee for Sportsnet Plus for premium subscribers to $344.99. This $20 increase follows a $75 hike in annual plans for streaming subscribers last season.
Meanwhile, Rogers has entered into a 12-year agreement with Amazon to exclusively broadcast Wednesday night regular-season national games on Prime Video in Canada starting this season.
A previous sublicensing arrangement between Rogers and Amazon allowed Monday night regular-season games to be aired on Prime Video for the last two seasons.
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