Bad news for Ottawa's couch-side fans
If you're an Ottawa Senators fan who prefers cheering the team on from your living room rather than braving Canadian Tire Centre traffic, brace yourself: watching the Sens on TV is about to get more expensive next month, according to a new report from The Hockey News.
For a city that lives and dies with its NHL club, this isn't a small thing. Ottawa doesn't have the market size of Toronto or Montreal, which means local broadcasts and streaming access matter even more to Sens fans who can't always make it downtown to the rink. A growing chunk of the fanbase — especially those in the greater Ottawa area who split their attention between the Senators, work, and family life — relies on home viewing as their primary way of following the team through the long 82-game season.
Why this hits different in the capital
Ottawa's relationship with the Senators has always had an underdog quality to it. The team has weathered ownership uncertainty, arena debates, and years of rebuilding, all while asking fans to stay loyal. Now, with the on-ice product finally showing signs of promise, pricier access to broadcasts is an unwelcome wrinkle for a fanbase that has already shown plenty of patience.
Local sports bars around the Byward Market, Westboro, and Barrhaven often see a bump in business when watching from home gets pricier or more complicated — so this shift could end up pushing more casual fans out to catch games on a big screen with friends rather than paying for it themselves. For families budgeting entertainment costs, though, an added expense just to watch the hometown team play is one more thing to factor in.
What we know so far
Details on the exact new pricing structure, which provider or package is affected, and the specific date next month the change takes effect were not fully spelled out in the initial report. What's clear is that the cost of watching Senators games on TV is set to climb, and Ottawa-area fans should keep an eye out for official word from broadcasters or the team on how the change will actually affect their bill.
We'll be watching for more specifics as they come out, since plenty of Ottawa households are going to want to know exactly what this means for their next cable or streaming statement.
Source: The Hockey News, via Google News
