Sacramento Kings fans pay price as Comcast raises rates on Northern California sports fans
Some Sacramento Kings fans will pay a higher price to watch their team after Comcast raised its rates for Northern California’s regional sports networks.
Comcast informed Xfinity subscribers of the rate increase Monday. The change will affect viewers of NBC Sports California, which broadcasts Kings and Athletics games, and NBC Sports Bay Area, which broadcasts the Golden State Warriors, San Jose Sharks and San Francisco Giants.
“As part of our new programming agreements with NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, both channels will move to our Ultimate TV and Digital Preferred packages on Tuesday, January 14,” Xfinity said in a message to subscribers. “As a result, effective January 14, you’ll no longer have access to NBC Sports Bay Area and California as part of your current TV package.”
The change went into effect Tuesday as the Kings prepared to wrap up a three-game road trip against the Milwaukee Bucks. Upgrading from the “Popular” package to the “Ultimate” package will cost Xfinity subscribers about $20 more per month. Customers who don’t upgrade will see their rates reduced by about $13 while losing access to the regional sports networks.
A Comcast spokesperson told The Sacramento Bee regional sports network (RSN) fees will be removed from customers who keep the “Popular” service.
“Moving RSNs to Ultimate TV lets us continue to make them available for sports fans while not forcing non-fans to pay for them,” the spokesperson said. “In addition, we have promotional offers for customers with Popular TV service who want to continue receiving NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California.”
Customers can sign into their Xfinity accounts or go to Xfinity.com/upgradeTV to learn more and ensure they have the right package to continue watching NBC Sports California and NBC Sports Bay Area.
A Comcast spokesperson told SFGate.com that internal data indicates the change won’t affect the majority of their sports fans. The spokesperson said the majority of NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California viewers already have the “Ultimate” package and a large number of customers with the “Popular” package do not watch sports channels.
This story was originally published January 14, 2025 at 7:04 PM with the headline "Sacramento Kings fans pay price as Comcast raises rates on Northern California sports fans."
