TV providers say Rogers’ Monday hockey move inflates prices, ‘erodes’ sports viewing

TORONTO — A trio of television providers are accusing Rogers Communications Inc. of violating competition rules and inflating Canadian sports fans’ bills by moving Monday night hockey broadcasts exclusively to its Sportsnet Plus streaming service for this NHL season.

In a letter submitted to Canada’s broadcasting regulator on Tuesday, the companies — Cogeco Inc., Eastlink and SaskTel — say Rogers is forcing price inflation on fans by charging a $12.99 monthly add-on fee to access hockey games on Monday nights, unless they already subscribe to Rogers TV or Sportsnet Plus.

The rival providers are asking the CRTC to order Rogers to immediately offer the content to independent companies for distribution to their customers for free, “ensuring parity” with Rogers’ offering.

They say the dynamic is “deliberately degrading the user experience on other distributors’ platforms” and leading to the “erosion of sports on television,” as such companies are unable to assemble a comprehensible sports lineup for their own subscribers.