Rogers fell short in its communication with fans over its significant price hike of Sportsnet+ Premium, a sport management professor says.
Rogers is raising the price of the streaming service starting Sept. 9, with the annual plan jumping from $249.99 to $324.99 and the monthly price rising from $34.99 to $42.99.
That means hockey fans who only subscribe for the nine-month NHL season will now pay more on the monthly plan ($386.91) than they would have previously paid for the full year.
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.
Brock University professor of sport management Michael Naraine calls the increase “incredibly frustrating” from a fan’s perspective
He added that Rogers could have instead shown some appreciation to its consumers by providing opportunities for discounted pricing and better explained why the prices are being increased.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published July 14, 2025.
