Montreal professional hockey fans must use multiple streaming services and TV channels to watch the current playoff series [1].
This fragmentation forces viewers to manage several subscriptions to follow their teams, ending the era of centralized sports broadcasting in the region [1].
Broadcast rights for the playoffs have been split among various providers [1]. For those following the Montreal Victoire, the first-round playoff series is exclusive to Amazon Prime Video [3]. This shift means that traditional cable options are no longer sufficient for all games [2].
"Gone are the days where all professional sports were on one or two TV channels," CBC Montreal said [1]. The transition to digital-first broadcasting has created a complex landscape for fans attempting to navigate the schedule [2].
Some viewers have attempted to find alternative broadcasts through regional sports networks. However, the exclusivity of the streaming deals prevents this. "Unfortunately, you can't get around it by just tuning to RDS," MSN Sports said [2].
Fans in Montreal, Quebec, now face a digital divide based on which platform holds the specific rights for each round of the playoffs [1, 2]. The reliance on Amazon Prime Video for the initial stage of the tournament marks a significant shift in how professional hockey is delivered to the Canadian market [3].
“Gone are the days where all professional sports were on one or two TV channels.”
The shift of exclusive playoff rights to a streaming giant like Amazon reflects a broader industry trend where sports leagues prioritize high-value digital contracts over traditional linear television. For the consumer, this increases the 'cost of fandom' by requiring multiple monthly subscriptions to access content that was previously bundled in a single cable package.
