Cogeco, Eastlink, SaskTel file joint CRTC complaint over Rogers' Monday Night Hockey paywall. 2 hours ago Rogers decision to pull marquee NHL games - specifically Monday Night Hockey - from linear television channels and put them exclusively behind a paywall is now officially the subject of a joint complaint to the CRTC from Cogeco, Eastlink and SaskTel. Filed on Nov. 10, the complaint alleges that Rogers is systematically squeezing competitors, inflating consumer bills, and trampling on conditional approval of its multi-billion-dollar acquisition of Shaw Communications. While Rogers bundles live games into its own television service via dedicated channels at no extra cost, as of this season subscribers of independent broadcasting distribution undertakings (BDUs) are now forced to navigate a digital authentication portal and shell out an extra $12.99 a month - roughly $155 annually - to watch the same games. The application accuses Rogers of maintaining unadjusted wholesale affiliate rates for its linear Sportsnet channels, while quietly siphoning off the most valuable content. "Far from an isolated commercial misconduct, Rogers' anti-competitive practice forms part of an overt, systemic strategy of market foreclosure designed to starve competing service providers of 'must-have' programming and systematically undermine retail competition across Canada's broadcasting sector," the application states. "Without swift, decisive, and binding regulatory intervention by the Commission, this predatory siphoning of must-have live sports content - chief among it Monday night NHL hockey - will inflict immediate and irreversible structural damage on the Canadian broadcasting ecosystem." Left unchecked, the application says Rogers strategy will erode consumer choice, force Canadian households into mandatory "fee-stacking" and distort fair market dynamics, establishing a dangerous precedent that will result in an increasing share of marquee programming shifted onto proprietary digital platforms. "What begins today as a handful of regular-season NHL games and playoff rounds will inevitably escalate to the Stanley Cup finals and the season finale of hit TV shows, creating an unchecked slippery slope that starves independent BDUs of vital content and dismantles the integrity of Canada's entire broadcasting system," it continued. The complainants argue that Rogers' actions are a direct violation of the CRTC decision greenlighting the Rogers-Shaw merger. At the time, the commission explicitly prohibited Rogers from removing services or content from competing platforms or providing them exclusively on its own proprietary ecosystem. 'Dual-monetization strategy' The cable providers say Rogers also failed to properly notify or coordinate with affiliates regarding the launch of its Sportsnet+ TV Provider Add-on. "This lack of transparent communication created widespread customer confusion, leading numerous eligible BDU subscribers to inadvertently purchase redundant, full-priced Sportsnet direct-to-consumer subscriptions (priced at $35 to $45 per month) rather than accessing the standalone add-on," the complaint states. The complainants say that Rogers "dual-monetization strategy" systematically devalues linear distribution offerings and inflates retail prices for Canadian consumers, noting widespread outrage reflected in recent headlines. "This creates a clear 'heads I win, tails you lose' dynamic for Rogers: on one hand, Rogers' direct-to-consumer offerings draw subscribers away from other BDUs' video packages; on the other, punitive penetration-based rate cards raise competitor BDUs' wholesale costs to compensate for subscriber losses caused directly by Rogers' direct-to-consumer siphoning." Furthermore, the BDUs argue that the Sportsnet+ TV Provider Add-on effectively converts their subscribers into direct customers of Rogers. "In order to access the add-on, these subscribers are forced to provide personal data, including their names, contact details, and credit card information, directly to Rogers," they allege. "Additionally, subscribers must possess an internet connection and a compatible device capable of running the add-on. This enables Rogers to capture sensitive customer relationships and target competing BDU subscribers with tailored promotional offers for its own telecom and broadcasting products and services." The coalition is petitioning the CRTC to issue an urgent order finding Rogers in breach of its merger commitments and regulatory rules, compelling the company to offer the Sportsnet+ TV Provider Add-on to independent distributors at wholesale rates capped at $0 to ensure absolute parity with Rogers own distribution terms. Connie has worked coast-to-coast as a reporter, editor, anchor and host at CKNW and News 1130 in Vancouver, News 95.7 and CBC in Halifax, and CFCW Edmonton, among other stations. With a passion for music, film and community service, she led News 95.7 to a 2013 Atlantic Journalism Award and regional RTDNA award for Best Radio Newscast. More recently, she was nominated for Music Journalist of the Year at Canadian Music Week 2019. 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Cogeco said its Canadian business ended fiscal 2026 with faster internet customer growth, strong wireless sales and higher adjusted EBITDA. Its US arm, Breezeline, lost internet customers as fibre rivals expanded with aggressive promotions. For fiscal 2027, Cogeco expects Canadian revenue and adjusted EBITDA to stay relatively stable. US revenue is forecast to fall by low- to mid-single digits and adjusted EBITDA by mid- to high-single digits, on a constant-currency basis. Free cash flow was CAD 554 million in fiscal 2026. The company expects CAD 500 million to CAD 550 million next year, with capital spending cut to CAD 425 million to CAD 475 million. Cogeco raised its dividend 2%, the 23rd straight annual increase, and will put more cash toward debt. It expects leverage to fall from 3.1 times to about 3 times by year-end.