Bay Area sports fans will need to upgrade their Comcast Xfinity subscriptions to continue watching local teams like the San Francisco Giants, Golden State Warriors and San Jose Sharks.
Under a new agreement with NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, these channels will shift from Xfinity’s Popular TV package to the more expensive Ultimate TV tier. The price difference between the two packages is around $20 per month.
Comcast confirmed Monday that starting Tuesday, customers on the Popular TV tier will lose access to NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California.
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The company explained that this change reflects “the evolving video marketplace for local sports” and gives customers more flexibility in choosing their plans. To help with the transition, Comcast is offering promotional deals for those who wish to upgrade.
Comcast said the decision to place regional sports networks in the higher-priced tier is largely driven by these escalating programming costs, particularly for sports broadcasting rights.
Although Comcast claims that most sports fans are already on the Ultimate TV tier, those still on Popular TV will need to upgrade if they want to keep watching their teams.
In addition to NBC Sports Bay Area and NBC Sports California, the Ultimate TV package includes access to major league channels for the NFL, NBA, MLB and NHL, along with over 50 other channels.
For those who no longer want sports content, the switch will reduce their monthly fees by removing regional sports network charges.
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To upgrade, customers can visit Xfinity’s website or sign into their accounts.
Reach Aidin Vaziri: avaziri@sfchronicle.com
Aidin Vaziri is a staff writer at The San Francisco Chronicle.
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