Hockey’s streaming spree means there’s one fewer thing holding Canada together
Summary
Canadian NHL games have increasingly moved behind paid streaming services, and the CBC has ended its long-running Saturday-night hockey broadcasts. A poll found that many Canadians object to the added costs and view the loss of Hockey Night in Canada as a major blow to hockey traditions.Key Facts
- Some games for each Canadian NHL team are available only through a Sportsnet+ subscription, which costs $12.99 per month.
- Amazon Prime subscribers can watch certain NHL games under an expanded league broadcast deal with Amazon.
- The CBC stopped airing Saturday-night NHL games in 2025, ending a partnership that began in 1952.
- Rogers holds the NHL’s Canadian broadcast rights under a 12-year deal worth $11 billion that began in October.
- An Angus Reid poll found 78% of respondents said it was bad that more games require additional subscriptions.
- In the poll, 79% said it had become too expensive overall to follow their favourite NHL team, and 74% called the loss of Hockey Night in Canada a major loss for Canadian hockey and its traditions.
- The poll found 90% of respondents considered hockey important or defining to Canadian identity.
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