Cable Firms File Complaint Over Sportsnet NHL Surcharge

Eastlink, Cogeco and SaskTel say Rogers' $13 monthly fee for Monday NHL games is anti-competitive.

Updated on Nov. 11, 2026 in Hockey

Flat vector editorial illustration of a coiled coaxial cable ending in a brass connector beside a small stack of coins on cream, evoking a cable-fee dispute. — Eastlink, Cogeco and SaskTel filed a complaint with the CRTC Tuesday, alleging Rogers' $13 monthly NHL Monday-night surcharge is anti-competitive. AI Illustration. Upload story photo >

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Eastlink, Cogeco and SaskTel filed a complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission on Tuesday over a $13 per month surcharge Rogers Communications introduced for NHL Monday night games this season. The complaint alleges Rogers acted anti-competitively.

Why it matters

Customers who receive Sportsnet through a traditional provider are served alternate programming on Monday nights, while Sportsnet+ subscribers get nationally broadcast games through the streaming service. The complaint says the surcharge has caused consumer confusion across the country.

The surcharge is $13 per month, while Sportsnet+ retails for $35 to $45 per month. Xfinity created three new digital channels to carry the NHL programming, and it is the only service that has struck a deal to do so.

The players

Rogers Communications Inc.

A Canadian telecommunications and media company that owns Sportsnet, Sportsnet+ and the Xfinity service, and which introduced the NHL Monday night surcharge.

Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission

Canada's federal broadcasting and telecommunications regulator, which received the complaint and has the authority to rule on it.

The details

The surcharge was unveiled shortly before the new NHL season this fall, and the complaint, citing Globe and Mail reporting, says it caused consumer confusion. Rogers Communications' Xfinity is the only service that has struck a deal to carry the NHL programming, which it did through three newly created digital channels.

Fall 2026: The NHL season begins and the Sportsnet surcharge is introduced.
November 11, 2026: Eastlink, Cogeco and SaskTel file their complaint with the CRTC.

Season Trajectory

The dispute goes beyond one season's pricing, because how NHL games are distributed affects which Canadians can watch the sport and at what cost. A regulatory finding could shape how broadcast rights are sold for the remaining seasons of the league's Canadian deals.

Fans who want Monday night NHL games must either subscribe to Sportsnet+ at $35 to $45 per month or pay the $13 monthly surcharge through a Rogers service. Those on other providers should check how their Sportsnet channel handles Monday games before the season's schedule runs.

The takeaway

Viewers' access to the NHL on Monday nights now depends on their provider as much as on the game itself, and the CRTC's ruling will show how far that can go. Check your provider's Monday night listings before choosing a plan.