Professor questions value as Sportsnet Premium streaming price jumps 30%

Edmonton Oilers goalie Stuart Skinner (74) makes a save on Florida Panthers' Carter Verhaeghe (23) during the third period in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup final in Sunrise, Fla., on Tuesday, June 17, 2025. THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nathan Denette

Sportsnet failed to clearly communicate with fans ahead of a significant price hike to its premium streaming service, a professor says.

The broadcaster, owned by Rogers, is raising the price of its Sportsnet+ Premium streaming service starting Sept. 9, with the annual plan jumping from $249.99 to $324.99.

The premium tier is the only streaming option in Canada that offers out-of-market NHL games — more than 1,000 matchups — along with in-market regional and national broadcasts.

The monthly price is rising from $34.99 to $42.99, meaning fans who subscribe just for the nine-month NHL season will pay more ($386.91) than they would on the annual plan.

Brock University sport management professor Michael Naraine says the price hike is frustrating for fans, especially given the lack of communication from Sportsnet.

He says the company offered no explanation or incentives — such as advance notice or loyalty discounts — which are common strategies in other industries.

“They just raised prices,” he said. “They didn’t explain to customers or give them a sense of lead time.”

By comparison, U.S. viewers can stream out-of-market NHL games via ESPN+ for US$11.99 a month or US$119.99 a year. International fans can access games through NHL.tv for US$14.99 a month.

A Sportsnet spokesperson defended the price increase in a statement Monday.

“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,” the statement read.

The prices of other Sportsnet packages are also increasing, but not as drastically.

A standard Sportsnet subscription, which includes all Toronto Blue Jays content along with national and in-market NHL games, is increasing from $199.99 to $249.00 annually and $24.99 to $29.99 monthly.

The increase, Naraine says, was to be expected given Rogers’ new 12-year, $11-billion broadcast rights deal with the NHL that begins in 2026–27.

Still, Naraine says it’s a no-win situation for Sportsnet, because fans are likely to push back no matter what.

“A rational fan would say, ‘OK, look, Rogers just paid even more of a premium to get the hockey rights. I expect probably a price increase,’” he said. “The challenge is, the price is increasing substantially, and the level of service that consumers and fans have been getting over the last couple of years has been suspect — and I think that’s really the crux of the issue.”

He pointed to stream quality issues and a lack of polish compared to how Apple, Netflix, and Amazon deliver live sports.

The hike could push some consumers toward other options, Naraine says — including piracy, password sharing, or turning to the grey market. That might mean using a VPN to access cheaper international streams not intended for Canadian viewers — a legal grey area that bypasses regional broadcast rights.

“When the consumer feels so squeezed, eventually they’ll say, ‘Look, all right, you know what, I can’t afford it no more — screw it,’” he said. “And we’ve already started to see that pressure with people (not) going to games.

“But over time, people get accustomed to, ‘That’s just the cost of doing business,’ and people will accept it if they feel that they can take it on. Some people may not feel it, some people will feel it. And right now, Rogers is banking on the fact that maybe over the next few years, people are just going to accept that this is the cost of doing business.”

This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025.

Abdulhamid Ibrahim, The Canadian Press