Short answer: 2026 did not bring the collapse of Canadian TV that many forecasts predicted. Traditional subscriptions kept shrinking at Rogers, but Bell actually added TV customers in the spring, largely through app-based IPTV, and streaming kept growing. The real changes came elsewhere: Ottawa moved to scrap the CRTC's levy on foreign streamers, NHL hockey moved further behind streaming paywalls, and the fight against unlicensed IPTV intensified. The catch for anyone reading older predictions is that the direction was right but the mechanism was wrong: pay TV isn't disappearing, it's turning into apps.
At a glance
Canadian TV in 2026
| Pay TV | Rogers down ~111,000 in H1; Bell up in Q2 |
| Streaming | Crave passed 5 million subscriptions |
| Regulation | Streamer levy set to be replaced by public funding |
| Hockey | New Rogers deal, more games streaming-only |
| Piracy | Court-ordered live blocking now routine |
What the forecasts got wrong
A few years ago, it was common to read that Canadian cable and satellite would be close to finished by 2026, replaced by some mix of streaming and IPTV. Some of that happened. Much of it didn't, and the reasons are instructive.
Forecasters treated IPTV as a disruptor. In Canada, the largest IPTV operators are the incumbents themselves. Bell and Telus moved their own customers onto IPTV years ago, and Rogers followed with Ignite TV.
They underestimated sport. Live sport, especially hockey, kept a large share of households on some form of paid live TV.
They overestimated regulation's speed. The Online Streaming Act, passed in 2023, was expected to settle how streamers contribute to Canadian content. By 2026 it had instead produced litigation, trade friction and a government U-turn.
The subscriber numbers
The clearest data comes from the big companies' quarterly reports.
| Company | Measure | 2026 figure |
|---|---|---|
| Bell (Canada) | Video net change, Q2 | +8,741, versus a loss of 15,851 a year earlier |
| Bell (Canada and US) | Video subscribers, end of Q2 | About 2.16 million |
| Rogers | Video subscribers lost, first half | About 111,000, to roughly 2.45 million |
| Crave (Bell Media) | Total subscriptions, end of Q2 | 5.07 million, up 23% year on year |
Bell's figure deserves a caveat. It removed about 21,900 Virgin Plus IPTV subscribers from its count at the start of the year, and its recent gains lean heavily on lower-priced app-based plans. So "Bell added TV customers" is true, but they're not the same customers paying the same prices as a decade ago.
Trend one: pay TV becomes an app
The biggest structural change is that Canadian pay TV no longer needs a box. Bell sells Fibe TV plans that run as an app on streaming sticks and smart TVs. Telus pushes its TV+ app and Stream+ bundles of streaming services. Rogers builds streaming apps into Ignite TV.
This blurs the line between "cable" and "streaming". A customer watching live CTV through a telco app on a Fire TV stick is technically an IPTV subscriber, but the experience is a streaming one.
What it means for viewers: more flexibility and lower entry prices, but also more small subscriptions to track. The cheapest total cost usually comes from deciding deliberately which live channels you need. For the options, see our guide to live TV in Canada without cable.
Trend two: the streaming levy reset
Under the Online Streaming Act, the CRTC required large foreign streaming services to contribute 5% of their Canadian revenues to Canadian content funds, a decision issued in 2024. In 2026 it went further, raising the requirement to 15% in a new decision. Streaming and music companies had already challenged the original levy in court.
Then the government changed course. In June 2026, Ottawa said it intended to eliminate the streamers' base contribution and replace it with about $600 million a year in public funding for Canadian content. In July, a Department of Justice filing to the Federal Court of Appeal confirmed that intention, with a formal policy direction to the CRTC to follow.
What it means for viewers: the government argued the higher levy risked price increases for Canadian subscribers, so removing it should reduce one source of upward pressure on streaming prices. It will take a policy direction, public comment and new CRTC proceedings before anything is final, so expect this to run into 2027.
Trend three: hockey behind a paywall
The 2026-27 NHL season is the first under Rogers' new 12-year national rights deal, reported at about $11 billion. It brought the most visible change in Canadian TV this year.
The Hockey Night in Canada name is gone. After CBC and Rogers ended their arrangement over the brand, Sportsnet's Saturday broadcast is now called Saturday Night Hockey.
More games are streaming-only. Sportsnet's Monday night national games stream exclusively on Sportsnet+, and traditional TV subscribers need a paid add-on of about $12.99 a month unless their Rogers package includes it. Amazon's Prime Video also carries a weekly national game.
Prices went up. Sportsnet+ raised its prices on 22 September 2026, to $34.99 a month for Standard and $44.99 for Premium.
There is some good news: Sportsnet says it will carry more national broadcasts, with more than 150 previously blacked-out games now available nationally.
For a sport-by-sport breakdown, see our guide to sports on IPTV in Canada.
Trend four: enforcement against unlicensed IPTV
Canada has become one of the more active countries against unlicensed live-sport streaming. Since 2022, the Federal Court has granted Rogers, Bell, TVA and other rights holders "dynamic" blocking orders requiring major internet providers to block the servers streaming unlicensed NHL games and other sports, updated in real time during matches. Later orders extended the approach to other leagues and made it longer-lasting.
For viewers, the practical result is that unlicensed IPTV subscriptions are least reliable exactly when demand is highest: live sport on a big night. With hockey now more expensive to watch legally, expect those services to advertise more aggressively, and blocking to continue.
What to watch for in 2027
The policy direction on streaming. Watch for the government's formal direction to the CRTC and the new proceedings that follow.
More app-only TV plans. Expect the telcos to keep lowering the entry point for live TV while charging for sports separately.
Sports prices. With rights costs rising, the price of watching a full season of your team is likely to keep climbing.
Rural connectivity. As broadband and satellite internet improve outside cities, app-based TV becomes realistic for households that previously had only satellite.
Quick answers
Is cable TV dying in Canada? Declining, not dying. Rogers lost about 111,000 video subscribers in the first half of 2026, while Bell added customers in the second quarter, largely through app-based plans.
What happened to the CRTC streaming levy? The government said in June 2026 that it plans to eliminate the base contribution on streamers and replace it with about $600 million a year in public funding. The change still needs formal steps.
Will streaming prices in Canada go down? Removing the levy removes one cost pressure, but prices depend on many factors. Don't expect immediate cuts.
Why do I need Sportsnet+ for Monday hockey? Under the new NHL deal, Sportsnet's Monday national games stream exclusively on Sportsnet+.
How much is Sportsnet+ now? From 22 September 2026, $34.99 a month for Standard and $44.99 for Premium, with annual plans available.
Are unlicensed IPTV services being blocked in Canada? Yes. Federal Court orders require major ISPs to block servers streaming unlicensed live sport, updated during games.
Subscriber figures are from BCE's and Rogers' 2026 quarterly reports; regulatory details are from public CRTC decisions and court filings, and the policy is still changing. Prices are in Canadian dollars before tax. Checked September 2026.