Oct 29, 2026
For the first time in generations, Canadian hockey fans can’t turn to CBC on a Saturday night and watch an NHL game for free. Last month, Canadians learned it would cost them. And now that paid route costs more, too.
Rogers Communications, which owns Sportsnet, raised the price of its Sportsnet+ streaming service on Sept. 22. That marks the third increase in roughly two years, and it landed just as the 2026-27 season got underway. Add TSN for some regional games and Amazon Prime Video for Wednesday night games, and a fan who wants to see every one of their team’s games could spend about $620 a year before tax.
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But what you actually pay depends on where you live, how you pay and who provides your TV service.
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How much more does Sportsnet+ cost this season?
So, how big is the price increase to watch NHL hockey going to hurt? The Standard plan carries regional Toronto Maple Leafs, Edmonton Oilers, Calgary Flames and Vancouver Canucks games, plus national games and the playoffs. According to a notice Rogers sent subscribers, it now costs $34.99 a month or $269.99 a year, up from $29.99 and $249.99. Premium, which adds out-of-market games, rose to $44.99 a month or $344.99 a year, up from $42.99 and $324.99.
Rogers told subscribers the increase is to support “continued investments.” The hike lands in the inaugural season of its 12-year, $11-billion national NHL rights deal.
The longer trend is sharper. A Standard annual plan cost $179.99 in 2024. That means today’s price is $90, or 50%, higher in two years, and the premium plan is up $95 over the same stretch.
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Why does watching every game now take 3 subscriptions?
So why do you need so many services to watch just one sport? Because the schedule is split among different providers. Under a 12-year sublicensing deal with Rogers, Prime Video now holds exclusive Wednesday night games, at least 26 national regular-season games. Those games come at no extra cost to Prime members, and a membership runs $9.99 a month or $99 a year.
Some teams’ regional games also air on TSN. For Leafs fans inside the team’s broadcast region, TSN carries a sizable share of games. Bell Media, which owns TSN, raised its streaming price back in April to $29.99 a month or $249.99 a year.
For an in-market Leafs fan paying annually, here’s how the bill adds up:
- Sportsnet+ Standard: $269.99
- TSN: $249.99
- Prime Video: $99
All in, that bill totals $618.98 before tax, or roughly $699 with Ontario’s 13% harmonized sales tax (HST).
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Fans who live outside their team’s region generally skip TSN but do need Sportsnet+ Premium. Add Prime and that’s $443.99 a year before tax.
Are cable subscribers safe from higher costs?
Does cable at least still cover every game? Nope, not anymore. Monday Night Hockey now streams exclusively on Sportsnet+. Viewers who get Sportsnet through a TV provider other than Rogers must pay $12.99 a month for an add-on to watch. Rogers Xfinity customers with Sportsnet in their package get the add-on at no extra cost.
The paywall is hitting some fan bases harder than others. The Toronto Maple Leafs, for example, have 13 Monday games locked behind it, while the Canucks have nine. Over roughly seven months of regular-season hockey, the add-on costs about $91 before tax.
Is it cheaper to pay monthly or annually?
Which billing option saves more will depend on when you stop watching. The Sportsnet+ Standard annual plan costs the same as about 7.7 months of monthly payments, while TSN’s annual plan equals about 8.3 months, which means you’ll get more post-season action.
A fan who subscribes in October and cancels when the regular season ends in April would pay $244.93 for seven months of Sportsnet+ Standard, which is about $25 less than the annual plan, and it suits a fan whose team misses the playoffs. A fan hoping to watch a playoff run into June would likely come out ahead paying annually.
What to do now
Before you sign up or renew, run your own numbers:
- Check your team’s broadcast schedule because if only a handful of games air on TSN, a full year may not be worth it
- Buy the tier that matches where you live. Premium only makes sense if you follow a team from outside its region
- Consider how much you care about post-season. If you’re likely to cancel before May, monthly billing may cost less
- Check what you already pay for. If you have Prime for shipping, Wednesday games cost nothing extra
- Compare whole TV bills. Rogers Xfinity includes the Monday add-on, but switching only pays off if the full package is competitively priced
- Add free hockey to the mix. CBC will air eight Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) games under the Hockey Night in Canada banner, starting Dec. 5, at no cost
The real decision for many households is whether making sure the ability to watch every game is worth it. A fan who can live without a few TSN or Wednesday games could save a few hundred dollars a year. As CanucksArmy columnist Daniel Wagner wrote in August, “I want hockey to be more accessible, not less.”
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Leslie Kennedy served as an editor at Thomson Reuters and for Star Media Group, followed by a number of years as a writer and editor and content manager in marketing communications, before returning to her editorial roots. She is a graduate of Humber College’s post-graduate journalism program and has been a professional writer and editor ever since.
