Xfinity bumping NESN, NBC Sports Boston to higher-priced cable tier starting next week - The Boston Globe
The deals with the regional sports networks are for multiple years, and in line with moves Comcast/Xfinity has made in approximately 30 other markets.
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Subscribers to Xfinity’s basic cable television package in New England are going to need to change their game plan if they want to keep watching the Celtics and Bruins.
Comcast — Xfinity’s parent company — has reached agreements with NESN and NBC Sports Boston to move the channels from its Popular TV (or basic) package to its Ultimate TV (or premium) level of service beginning Tuesday, Jan. 14.
The shift means a $20 price bump per month in order to watch Celtics games on NBC Sports Boston, plus Bruins, Fleet, and (come spring) Red Sox games on NESN. Xfinity lists the Popular and Ultimate TV tiers at $60 and $80, respectively, but that excludes fees, including a $15 regional sports network fee.
In a communication to affected Popular TV subscribers, Xfinity noted their RSN fee will be reduced. In Massachusetts, the drop will be by $12.85.
“We’re pleased to have reached agreements with NBC Sports Boston and NESN and appreciate them working with us to continue offering their networks in a way that reflects the changing video marketplace for local sports and provides our customers with a choice,” said an Xfinity spokesperson in a statement.
The spokesperson said most of Xfinity’s customers already have the Ultimate TV package. As of the end of 2023, Comcast/Xfinity had approximately 920,000 cable subscribers in Massachusetts, down from 1.05 million in 2022, per Mass.gov.
The Bruins play the Lightning on Tuesday, the day the new arrangement goes into effect. When Xfinity Popular TV subscribers turn on NESN that night, there will be a message on the screen saying that a subscription to the Ultimate TV package is required. That also will be the case for the following night’s Celtics game against the Raptors on NBC Sports Boston.
Xfinity says it will offer a promotional package to those switching to the Ultimate TV level, the details of which will be available at Xfinity.com/upgradeTV.
Comcast/Xfinity has moved regional sports networks to its more expensive tier in approximately 30 other markets.
The deals with NESN and NBC Sports Boston are for multiple years, which offers some stability in a regional sports network landscape that has been shaken by the decrease in revenue because of cord-cutters who have switched from cable television to streaming in recent years.
But most RSNs and their respective teams typically prefer to remain on the basic, lower-cost tier of cable, fearing that moving to a more exclusive and costlier level will affect viewership.
