Well, it turns out you’re not alone. Cable companies are passing more and more fees along to consumers, and this is one of them.
In today’s post, I’m going to explain exactly what this fee is, and what you can do about it.
What is Comcast’s Regional Sports fee?
This is a fee passed on to consumers to subsidize the cost of carrying sporting events on Regional Sports Networks (RSNs). Cable TV companies spend billions to win the rights to show various local sports, and they pass that cost on to consumers. These channels can be expensive, as seen in the high cost of the contract.
As an example, when you see Time Warner Cable agree to pay $7-8 Billion to the LA Dodgers over the next few decades to air all of their games….you bet your ass those fee pass through to consumers. Same goes for all of the contracts Comcast negotiates with local teams in the US.
Those costs are passed through to those in the viewing area. These fees are subject to increase and include professional and collegiate level sports contracts.
What if I don’t watch sports? Will Comcast remove /waive this fee for me?
This would be very unlikely. This fee blankets all of the folks in the viewing area, and from what I can tell they are not waiving this based on your viewing preferences.
However, you can ask to have a package that does not include any sports programming, and this may or may not remove the fee. Comcast is known to be difficult, but if you have a TV package the does not include access to those games, I would expect they remove that fee.
Or, you can cancel cable tv and keep internet only. In this case, yes, they would remove those fees.
Is this fee the same as Comcast broadcast tv fee? Or is this an additional fee?
Yes, you guessed it – it’s an additional fee. As I’m sure you know, Comcast has many fees. See the official Comcast link to view how they describe their fees.
Comcast charges both a regional sports fee (to subsidize the expensive of their contracts), AND separately they charge a broadcast TV fee. This is a pass-through fee to consumers to cover their costs to local broadcast stations to broadcast their programming over their networks. Normally these fees are determined by zip code and have seemed to increase more steadily over time.
Comcast and other cable companies like DIRECTV, Time Warner Cable, Spectrum have come under heavy fire for not disclosing these fees during your initial sign-up phase. Instead, they advised since these costs can change from time to time, they simply just lump these in at the end as “taxes, fees, and surcharges.”
Comcast Regional Sports Fee Lawsuit
That’s right, it is so bad for some that lawsuits have been filed. Currently, litigation is pending, but the argument is simple: Comcast is using these fees to raise customer prices, without having to advertise higher rates.
They claim these fees allow them to recover the cost contracts or broadcasting or transmitting. But really, this is simply the cost of doing business.
They are charging you more while telling you you’re paying less.
These fees have increased by 200%. Read that again – over 200%.
Here’s hoping they lose. Check out the Consumerist for the latest.
If I don’t want to pay these fees, what can be done
It’s unlikely they will directly remove these fees. Especially, if you get the sports package and live in the region those sports are shown. Instead, you should seek other discounts, and/or offers to offset these bloated fees.
The very simplest way is to use this link to chat with them. Plead your case, and ask for those fees to be removed.
If told no, ask about other discounts you qualify for? Ask if you can be given another discount to offset these.
You should make them aware you see competitors offering promotional rates if you were to switch. Also, see if Comcast is offering new subscribers better rates.
Ask: why should I, a loyal customer, pay more than a new one?
Call to Complain
This would be your last resort. Call and speak to the retention team, and say you want to cancel because your bill is too high. I can nearly guarantee you’ll be offered some sort of deal.
The retention team is their last line of defense to avoid losing business, and they are authorized to offer the best deals.
So indirectly, you can get the RSF waived.
And if all of this failed…
Well, go ahead and watch this video below. It will very accurately sum up how your feeling. Hopefully, you’ll laugh.
(Don’t watch if you are easily offended.)
12/06/2018: Thanks, guys, for filling me in about Comcast/Xfinity. I signed up for a X1 Starter Double Play for $74.99. When I got my first bill, I found an “Add on_ of $9.95 for HD Technology Fee, a Broadcast TV fee for $8.00 and a Regional Sports fee for $6.75. That is $24.70 monthly the salesman failed to tell me about. Or a total of $296.40 for this year and probably more as it appears they increase these fees every year or more. I am in Jacksonville, Florida. Is there anything I can do to get rid of these fees that no one ever told me about? Let me know! I spend my time between Jacksonville and San Diego, CA. Thanks for any assistance.
9.95+ 8.0 + 6.75 = 24.70
if you add this amount to 74.99 = $99.69/ moth
How do you arrive to $ 296.40?
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All these motherfuckers need to be taken down!!!!!
It’s all because of the continued illegal monopolies these companies are maintaining. Everyone know that cable companies maintain territories. No one can choose a cable tv provider that is not in their living area.
The internet was supposed to finally eliminate this practice and allow capitalism and competition reign. But it’s up to the customers to truly cut the cord and cancel the TV channels/packages and only use the an internet service – preferably not from a cable company – to watch TV or anything else.
Same here. I’m in Chicago suburbs, and decided to switch from AT&T because we had put up with their substandard wifi not covering the whole house for long enough. The Xfinity technician was just here on Friday 3/1, they issued my first bill that day, and I’m seeing it for the first time today, Monday 3/4.
“HD Technology Fee” $9.95 – a nickel less than it was with AT&T.
“Anyroom DVR Service” $10 – NEVER had to pay a separate fee for DVR service with AT&T. But we like the idea that we can watch any of our DVR’d programs on any device so I’m not arguing it for now.
“Broadcast TV Fee” $10 – was $7.99 with AT&T. While I have a problem with this, it’s not the battle I’m fighting right now.
“Regional Sports Fee” $8.25 – This is the one I have a big problem with. NEVER ordered any add-on sports package, and NEVER had a similar fee from AT&T. I’m on hold for a supervisor right now, but the first associate would only offer to remove this fee in conjunction with downgrading our package to one that didn’t include any sports channels. I told her this wasn’t acceptable. I agreed to pay a certain price for the roster of channels in their X1 Starter Pack, there were several sports channels included in that pack, this fee was not disclosed to me at any point, and it amounts to charging me a second time for channels I’m already paying for.
This phone call began 53 minutes ago. For the last 40 minutes I have been on hold, and she has come back on at intervals to inform me that:
1. she had located an available supervisor and would explain my concerns first “so I didn’t have to repeat myself”;
2. he will be right with me as soon as he finishes his current call (25 minutes ago).
This is ridiculous.
So here is what is stupid, instead of the cable companies paying to show these sports, shouldn’t the sports companies and channels be paying the cable companies to show their stuff? Somewhere I crossed into a bassackward dimension. I want my stuff to play on your company channels, I will pay you. It shouldn’t be the other way around.
From Xfinity/Comcast who’s regional Sports Fee is now up to $10.43 in my area. I hate sports. Did not buy a sports package, just the standard 140+ channel package. So yes, I’m already paying for the channels and should not be charged extra.
“Regional Sports Fee
The Regional Sports Fee is an itemized charge that you’ll see on your bill. This charge is not a government-mandated fee and will increase from time to time. It’s based on our costs of providing the regional sports networks that we carry on our cable systems in each area. These costs include the fees that regional sports networks charge us to carry them on our cable systems, which are among our largest increasing costs. The Regional Sports Fee is not included in our promotional pricing or pricing under your minimum-term agreement and can increase during your promotion or minimum-term. You’ll receive advance notice before an increase takes effect.”