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Three TV providers file complaint over Rogers' move to put Monday NHL games on Sportsnet+

Read the original at Toronto Star ↗
Cite

Ngabo, G. (2026, November 11). Three TV providers file complaint over Rogers' move to put Monday NHL games on Sportsnet+. Toronto Star. https://www.thestar.com/sports/leafs/three-tv-providers-file-complaint-over-rogers-move-to-put-monday-nhl-games-on-sportsnet/article_da7841e0-9db0-469b-b8b3-d0d4ceff0f02.html

Dated from the outlet's own feed. Check the original for its byline.

Toronto Star · collected 2026-11-11 · by Gilbert Ngabo

Quick Summary

Three telecom companies—Cogeco, Eastlink, and SaskTel—have filed a complaint with the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission (CRTC) over Rogers’ decision to stream Monday Night NHL hockey games exclusively on its Sportsnet+ service at an additional cost for non-Rogers customers. The move has sparked outrage among fans due to increased access fees; while Rogers customers can watch free, others must pay $12.99 per month. The complaint alleges this violates broadcasting regulations and harms market competition by giving Rogers’ own customers preferential treatment.
Written by AI on 2026-11-11, from this article's own text only (the story summary below draws on all the coverage).

AI analysis

Story summary

Cogeco Inc., Eastlink, and SaskTel filed a complaint with Canada’s broadcasting regulator (CRTC) on November 11, 2026, accusing Rogers Communications Inc. of violating competition rules by moving Monday night NHL games exclusively to its Sportsnet Plus streaming service. Rogers charges $12.99 monthly for access unless customers already subscribe to Rogers TV or Sportsnet Plus. The providers argue this move forces price inflation on fans and gives Rogers an unfair advantage, potentially undermining retail competition across Canada’s broadcasting sector. They demand the CRTC intervene to ensure parity with Rogers' offering, which is free for its own subscribers.

Written for “Rogers Hockey Streaming Controversy” on 2026-11-11, grounded in this article and the 3 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The article's own words the score was based on. Each is quoted verbatim and was checked against the article text before being stored, so you can find it in the original.
Reading Leans strongly left (beta estimate) Confidence high 1 quote(s) discarded as not found in the article
Leaning: leans strongly left for article 145567 (high confidence, 1 verified quote) · logged 2026-11-11

Story

Rogers Hockey Streaming Controversy
Entertainment · 4 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans strongly left and hedges 6% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Toronto Star
Leans left further right than this Hedges 0 of 2 claims Outlet record 64/100
Toronto Sun
Hedges 2 of 30 claims Outlet record 95/100
CBC News
Leans left further right than this Hedges 0 of 8 claims Outlet record 72/100
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
16
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
6%
1 of 16 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans strongly left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
64/100
Toronto Star's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
4
Entertainment
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-11-11 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

Toronto Star · 13278 article(s) · 29 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 29 correction(s)
2026-10-26
Correction
2026-10-24
Correction
2026-10-07
Correction
2026-09-24
Correction

Who wrote this

Gilbert Ngabo
7 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
In September, Rogers announced that Monday night NHL games would be streamed exclusively on Sportsnet+.
The 8-6 Argos, who have already locked up a home playoff date, will need that physicality Friday night on the road against an equally punishing Winnipeg Blue Bombers team.
Four teams will compete in a 3-on-3 tournament format that will be broadcast on TSN and Radio Canada (French), while Scripps Sports will provide the coverage for American fans on ION.
The Argonauts hope to keep their winning ways going when they host the Edmonton Elks on Saturday, an afternoon tilt that will mark an important milestone for one Toronto player.
You also never know who might be inspired by your journey, which is part of the reason why the seven-time Olympic medallist greenlit “On Track with Andre De Grasse,” which premieres next Saturday on CBC Gem.
The return of Kawhi Leonard to Toronto was going to bump up interest for the Raptors tickets anyway, but one night in particular will cost fans a lot of money if they want to watch at Scotiabank Arena.
Also by Gilbert Ngabo
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 7 articles by Gilbert Ngabo →

Topics

Canadian NHL Rogers Sportsnet Sportsnet+

Subjects

Rogers ORG · 10× Canadian NORP · 3× NHL ORG · 3× Sportsnet ORG · 3× Sportsnet+ ORG · 2× CRTC ORG · 1× Cogeco ORG · 1× Eastlink ORG · 1× SaskTel ORG · 1× the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission ORG · 1×

Narrative

“If Rogers is permitted to unilaterally siphon core NHL broadcasts such as playoff rounds away from linear TV feeds, no marquee content, sports or entertainment, will remain safe from platform fragmentation, and other large, vertically integrated media companies will inevitably follow suit,” the complaint further reads.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-11-11
In September, Rogers announced that Monday night NHL games would be streamed exclusively on Sportsnet+.

Claims (16 extracted, 1 hedged)

Three telecom companies are calling for the Canadian Radio-television and Telecommunications Commission to reverse a recent move by Rogers to put “Monday Night Hockey” behind a Sportsnet+ paywall. asserted
companies → call → paywall
Cogeco, Eastlink and SaskTel have filed a formal complaint to the CRTC. asserted
Cogeco → file → CRTC
It alleges that the move by Rogers violates the broadcasting distribution regulations by giving its own customers preferential access while imposing unjust surcharges to others. asserted
move → allege → others
In September, Rogers announced that Monday night NHL games would be streamed exclusively on Sportsnet+. asserted
games → announce → Sportsnet+
That service would come free of charge for Rogers customers who already had Sportsnet in their TV packages. asserted
who → come → packages
But those who pay for Sportsnet with competing TV providers would have to pay $12.99 per month for access. asserted
who → pay → access
The announcement outraged many hockey fans who are feeling priced out of watching the game. asserted
who → outrage → game
Thirteen Maple Leafs games are on Sportsnet+ this season as frustrated fans are already dealing with increased ticket prices for home games and another six games being streamed exclusively on Amazon Prime this season. asserted
fans → deal → Prime
The complainants allege that Rogers’ actions are “harmful” to both the consumers and the market competition. asserted
actions → allege → consumers
They demand that “Monday Night Hockey” programming be distributed to all Sportsnet subscribers for free. asserted
programming → demand → subscribers
“The Commission must intervene without delay and put a definitive end to Rogers’ anti-competitive practice in order to preserve the integrity of the Canadian broadcasting system and properly defend Canadian consumers’ interests from coast to coast to coast,” reads part of the 16-page complaint filed on Nov. 10. asserted
part → intervene → Nov.
The complaint alleges that Rogers, which owns the Leafs following the acquisition of MLSE, could be setting “a dangerous precedent” if the new streaming service is not reversed. uncertain
service → allege → precedent
“If Rogers is permitted to unilaterally siphon core NHL broadcasts such as playoff rounds away from linear TV feeds, no marquee content, sports or entertainment, will remain safe from platform fragmentation, and other large, vertically integrated media companies will inevitably follow suit,” the complaint further reads. asserted
complaint → permit → suit
“Without swift and decisive regulatory intervention to stop this slippery slope, Canadian viewers and independent BDUs (broadcasting distribution undertakings) will ultimately be left at the mercy of a captive, predatory distribution model designed to force consumers into ever-increasing costs for diminished access. asserted
viewers → stop → access
A 12-year, $11-billion national TV rights deal between Rogers and the NHL kicked in at the start of this season. asserted
deal → kick → season
The Star has reached out to Rogers for comment. asserted
Star → reach → comment
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