Sportsnet and Rogers just gave Canadian hockey fans another reason to be fed up before puck drop.
The latest increase lifts the Sportsnet+ annual price for the 2026-27 NHL season from $329 to $344, and the reaction online was instant.
That jump lands right after a 30% increase from 2025, which is why this one hit a nerve so fast. Fans aren't looking at this as a small bump. They're looking at a pattern.
Sportsnet+ has become one of the main legal ways for Canadians to watch NHL games without cable.
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It carries national broadcasts, regional games, playoff coverage, and Premium access to more than 1,000 out-of-market games.
That reach is exactly why the backlash matters. When the biggest hockey platform in the country gets more expensive again, the hit lands across the whole fan base, not just a small slice of subscribers.
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The bigger problem is that the rising bill still doesn't guarantee a clean viewing experience.
Blackouts remain in place, and many fans still can't get every game they're paying for.
The price isn't the only issue with Sportsnet's price hike
Standard plans sit at nearly $30 per month, while Premium pushes past $40 monthly. That puts Sportsnet+ among the priciest sports streaming options on the continent.
And even then, many Canadian fans still need other services like TSN or Amazon Prime Video to follow every game tied to their team. The total cost keeps climbing.
That's where the frustration really turns. Fans aren't just paying more. They're paying more for a product that still feels split up, restricted, and tougher to navigate than it should be.
To Sportsnet's credit, the platform offers HD streams, broad device support, Hockey Night in Canada, and full Stanley Cup Playoff coverage. Those are real selling points.
But the mood around this increase is clear. For a lot of Canadian hockey fans, the value no longer matches the bill, and that gap is starting to define the service more than the games themselves.
Should Sportsnet+ include every NHL game in Canada at one price?
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