When will Maple Leaf fans revolt as uproar over Sportsnet streaming costs amplifies?

For a second straight Monday, many Leafs fans will be outraged when they can't find their team on cable TV

Published Oct 26, 2026  •  Last updated 22 minutes ago  •  5 minute read

Rogers Communications announced on Thursday, Oct. 1, 2026, that the deal to purchase the remaining 25% stake in MLSE from Kilmer Group for $4.35 billion had closed. Photo by Peter J. Thompson /Postmedia Network

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Winners of four in a row, including a blowout of the Edmonton Oilers on Saturday night, the Maple Leafs are the hottest team in the NHL, building anticipation for what’s next.

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When it comes to the viewing experience, unfortunately, that is likely to include more anger, confusion and frustration.

For a second consecutive Monday, a large portion of the Leafs fan base will be outraged when they can’t find their suddenly streaking team on their television.

This week, they’ll be joined by another Canadian market with host Calgary making its debut on Sportsnet’s controversial Monday Night Hockey program. With 13 appearances, the Leafs are by far the leader among the seven Canadian teams and are at the centre of the storm given they fall under the umbrella of the same company that owns the broadcasts.

As the noise continues to amplify over Rogers’ decision to put the Monday night package on streaming service Sportsnet+, industry observers wonder about the end game for the sporting empire.

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“What Rogers is doing right now is trying to find the equilibrium point, the sweet spot,” Michael Naraine, an associate professor of sport management at Brock University, said in an interview. “At what point do Leafs fans say, ‘This is too much?’ At what point are people going to stop consuming?

“Because if people complain but still put up with their wallets, they can bitch and moan all they want. (Costs) will continue to go up and up until Rogers sees people are unsubscribing or people are getting IPTV.”

The amount of pushback over the cost of MNH for most Canadian viewers appears to have caught Rogers officials by surprise, writes Rob Longley. Photo by PHOTO ILLUSTRATION /TORONTO SUN

‘Rogers has been going for the jugular’

The amount of pushback over the cost of MNH for most Canadian viewers appears to have caught Rogers officials by surprise. In the Rogers realm, there is a sensitivity to criticism given the recent completion of its purchase of Maple Leaf Sports and Entertainment and reports that there are plans to sell off a portion of the company’s sporting empire.

According to a source, there is hope that cable partners beyond Rogers will pick up at least some of the cost of Monday Night Hockey for its customers, but that has yet to happen.

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Meanwhile, there is a clear desire from Rogers management (and likely a belief) that this will just go away and that sports fans used to paying more and more will eventually do that they always do and suck it up.

Not all are so sure.

“Rogers has been going for the jugular over the past couple years,” Naraine said. “And it’s been heavily shocking to the end consumer when they see their Sportsnet+ subscription go up triple digits in terms of percentage points.”

It is Naraine’s opinion that Rogers has overextended on the Monday costs, but the larger issue is what comes next.

“Yes, people are complaining about 13 Maple Leafs games now, but don’t think short term about this,” Naraine said. “Think long term. If you don’t like what you’re seeing here, you need to think more clearly about the future.

“Because if they’re going to do this for Monday nights, will Saturdays be next? It’s only when people start to look for alternatives or they stop (paying) when things will change.”

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Why is Rogers streaming Monday games?

It’s the way of the world, unfortunately, and in this case the first bold step to help pay for the 12-year, $11-billion rights fee it is paying to the NHL on a deal that began this season.

Naraine said it runs deeper than that in keeping with reports that Rogers intends to sell as much as 30% of its sports empire to help capitalize on its assets. If the company can prove it can function — and profit — in the streaming world, it becomes even more attractive to potential investors.

“They’re trying to position their assets so that private equity sees what is possible and what people are willing to put up with,” Naraine said. “When we talk about the sports consumer, there’s a lot of irrationality.

“(Rogers officials) are showing that, ‘Hey, we can continue to raise rates and continue to make more money off consumers. Yes, we might have some attrition, but we’re going to test the waters here to see how many people are going to put up with it.'”

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The reaction may eventually subside, but it remains hot button for now.

“They paid so much (for the rights) and they’ve got to try to recoup it,” a longtime industry observer said of Rogers’ strategy. “But this is piling on and fans have had enough of people’s hands in their pocket. You’ve got to be careful. There’s an inflection point where (consumers) are just going to say, ‘Screw you.'”

Edward Rogers and Tony Staffieri. Photo by Gigi Suhanic /Postmedia illustration

‘Trying to assess the consumer’s receptiveness’

Consumer outrage is just one of the headaches associated with putting so many NHL games behind a paywall, especially when so many involve the most popular team in the country.

As many have noted, there have been streaming glitches as Rogers moves aggressively into a sphere already mastered by some of the big boys.

“This is a 5G internet gateway company that has now obviously embarked on an impressive but still unclear sports and media strategy,” Naraine said. “It’s a legacy media company that is now competing in an ecosystem with massive streamers like Amazon and Apple. Those are tech companies willing to burn cash as it relates to digital sports rights.”

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Dealing with the rather noisy blowback from the Monday night experience — especially last week, when the Leafs made their first appearance — is part of the process, Naraine believes.

“We shouldn’t be surprised by the outrage, but Rogers is not surprised by the outrage,” Naraine said. “What they’re doing here is trying to prime for what the future looks like. They’re trying to test it out. They’re trying to assess the consumer’s receptiveness to putting things behind not just a paywall, but a premium paywall.

“To start it off on a Monday, you piss some people off, but not the entire consumer base. And then you can work through the kinks and the challenges, of which there are many.”

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