Sportsnet and Sportsnet One are two prominent sports broadcasting services under the Sportsnet brand, owned by Rogers Sports & Media, a major player in Canadian media. Understanding the distinction between these two can be crucial for sports enthusiasts when deciding how to catch their favourite games.
While both channels are part of the Sportsnet umbrella, they differ significantly regarding programming focus, target audience, availability, and purpose within the broader Sportsnet ecosystem.
What are Sportsnet and Sportsnet One?
Sportsnet is a group of regional sports networks (RSNs) that form the backbone of Rogers Sports & Media’s television offerings.
It operates as four regional channels: Sportsnet East, Sportsnet Ontario, Sportsnet West, and Sportsnet Pacific.
Each feed is tailored to specific regions of Canada, delivering localized sports content alongside national broadcasts.
Sportsnet is the go-to destination for major sports leagues in Canada. It holds national cable rights to the National Hockey League (NHL) and exclusive rights to the Toronto Blue Jays (MLB), a team co-owned by Rogers.
It also shares regional rights to the Toronto Maple Leafs and Toronto Raptors with rival network TSN. Beyond live games, Sportsnet offers analysis shows, highlights, and original programming, making it a comprehensive sports hub for Canadian viewers.
On the other hand, Sportsnet One is a national speciality channel designed to complement the regional Sportsnet feeds.
Unlike the region-specific Sportsnet channels, Sportsnet One operates as a single feed across Canada, often acting as an overflow or secondary channel for the Sportsnet brand.
It was introduced to accommodate additional live sports content that could not fit into the schedules of the main regional channels, especially during busy sports seasons.
Sportsnet One also includes part-time regional companion channels (e.g., Sportsnet Flames, Sportsnet Oilers) that provide dedicated coverage for specific NHL teams in their respective markets.
These companion channels are available only in the regions they serve, enhancing Sportsnet One’s flexibility as both a national and localized service.
Differences between Sportsnet and Sportsnet One
Sportsnet and Sportsnet One have several differences in terms of:
1. Content offered
A top distinction between Sportsnet and Sportsnet One lies in the type and focus of their programming.
Sportsnet’s content
Sportsnet’s regional feeds—East, Ontario, West, and Pacific—are designed to cater to local sports fans. Each feed prioritises coverage of teams and events relevant to its region. For example:
- Sportsnet Ontario focuses heavily on the Toronto Maple Leafs (NHL), Toronto Raptors (NBA), and Toronto Blue Jays (MLB).
- Sportsnet Pacific covers the Vancouver Canucks (NHL) and regional sports like curling or junior hockey.
- Sportsnet West serves the Calgary Flames and Edmonton Oilers (NHL) fans.
Beyond regional games, Sportsnet simulcasts national events like Hockey Night in Canada, which airs across all feeds on Saturday nights and covers the Stanley Cup Playoffs.
It is also the exclusive broadcaster of all 162 Toronto Blue Jays games, a cornerstone of its MLB coverage.
Additional programming includes studio shows like Hockey Central and Blue Jays Central, which offer pre- and post-game analysis.
Sportsnet’s vast content library has over 1,000 live events annually, including NHL, MLB, NBA, and curling. Its regional focus ensures fans get in-depth coverage of their local teams, supplemented by national and international sports highlights.
Sportsnet One content
Sportsnet One, by contrast, serves as a supplementary channel with a broader, less regionally constrained mandate. It often broadcasts games that do not fit the regional feeds’ schedules due to conflicts or capacity limits.
For instance, if Sportsnet West airs a Calgary Flames game, Sportsnet One might simultaneously carry an Edmonton Oilers game. Nationally, Sportsnet One covers a mix of secondary sports and events, such as:
- Additional NHL games are not assigned to regional feeds.
- Major League Soccer (MLS) matches, including Toronto FC games.
- International sports like rugby or niche leagues do not typically headline the main channels.
Sportsnet One’s companion channels (e.g., Sportsnet Flames, Sportsnet Oilers) provide dedicated team-specific coverage in their regions, airing every game for those franchises.
Depending on the market, Sportsnet One is a hybrid of national overflow and hyper-local programming.
Features and accessibility
The way you access Sportsnet and Sportsnet One, as well as their features, also differs significantly.
Sportsnet features and accessibility
Sportsnet’s regional channels are widely available through traditional cable and satellite providers across Canada.
On analogue cable, only the local, regional feed (e.g., Sportsnet Ontario in Toronto) is offered, but digital cable packages include all four feeds—East, Ontario, West, and Pacific—subject to regional blackouts for out-of-market NHL games.
Sportsnet’s content is also accessible via Sportsnet+, the streaming service launched as a digital extension of the brand. Sportsnet+ offers two tiers:
- Sportsnet+ Standard ($19.99/month or $179.99/year): Includes regional NHL games (e.g., Leafs, Canucks) and over 350 total NHL games, plus Raptors, Blue Jays, and other sports.
- Sportsnet+ Premium ($34.99/month or $249.99/year): Adds out-of-market NHL games, WWE Network, and international leagues like the FA Cup.
Sportsnet+ streams are available on devices like smartphones. The service supports high-definition streaming, with some content in 4K, though quality depends on your internet connection (approximately 1GB/hour for standard streams, 3GB/hour for HD).
Sportsnet One features and accessibility
Sportsnet One is a single national channel available through most Canadian cable and satellite providers, typically as part of a sports package alongside the regional Sportsnet feeds.
Unlike the regional channels, it does not vary by region (except for its companion channels), making it a consistent option nationwide.
The companion channels—Sportsnet Flames, Sportsnet Oilers, Sportsnet Canucks, and Sportsnet Leafs—are part-time feeds available only in their respective team’s broadcast regions.
These are essentially extensions of Sportsnet One, activated during game broadcasts to provide dedicated coverage.
Sportsnet One’s content is also accessible via Sportsnet+ and included in Standard and Premium tiers. That means subscribers can stream Sportsnet One’s national broadcasts or companion channel games on the same devices as the regional feeds.
However, companion channel streams are geo-restricted to their specific regions, mirroring cable blackout rules.
Sportsnet One’s interface on Sportsnet+ mirrors the main channels, with a user-friendly layout organized by sport, team, or live event. Like Sportsnet, it supports HD streaming but lacks additional features like offline downloads (a limitation across Sportsnet+).
Advantages and drawbacks
Here’s a look at the pros and cons of each.
Sportsnet advantages
- Extensive regional coverage tailored to local teams (e.g., Leafs, Canucks, Flames).
- Exclusive national rights to the NHL and MLB’s Toronto Blue Jays.
- Comprehensive studio programming (Hockey Central, Tim & Friends).
- Available on Sportsnet+ with flexible streaming tiers.
- Simulcasts major events like Hockey Night in Canada across all feeds.
Drawbacks
- Regional blackouts limit access to out-of-market NHL games on basic cable or Sportsnet+ Standard.
- Overlap in scheduling can push secondary games to Sportsnet One.
- Requires a higher-tier subscription (Sportsnet+ Premium) for full NHL access.
Sportsnet One advantages
- Acts as an overflow channel, ensuring more live games are broadcast.
- Companion channels offer dedicated coverage for specific NHL teams (e.g., Flames, Oilers).
- National availability without regional feed variations (outside companion channels).
- Included in Sportsnet+ subscriptions at no extra cost.
Drawbacks
- Less predictable programming, as it is often a secondary option to the main feeds.
- Companion channels are region-locked, limiting their reach.
- Smaller focus on studio shows or original content compared to Sportsnet.
Sportsnet and Sportsnet One are not direct competitors—you do not choose one over the other in isolation. They are complementary parts of the Sportsnet ecosystem.