Xfinity customers face higher bills for Red Sox broadcasts

As the Boston Red Sox season starts, Xfinity customers are unhappy with changes to their cable packages. The company moved NESN, which broadcasts Red Sox games, and NBC Sports Boston into a more expensive tier earlier this year. Xfinity claims that most customers already pay for the larger package and won’t be affected. However, many fans disagree. Crista Martin, a Bruins supporter, shared her frustration after receiving an email about the changes. She had to choose between paying more or losing access to the sports channels. Her monthly bill jumped from about $212 to $273. Martin eventually switched to NESN's streaming service. Annemarie Schmidt expressed similar concerns for her father, a Red Sox fan in assisted living. He mainly watches two channels and relies on cable for Red Sox games. The new pricing would force him to pay nearly $280, which Schmidt described as unfair. Fans estimated their monthly bills would rise by about $50. Xfinity, however, stated that most customers would see an increase closer to $20. They explained that the lower-priced Popular TV bundle now costs $85, while the Ultimate TV bundle, which includes NESN and NBC Sports Boston, costs $118. The decision to move the sports channels was influenced by rising costs in live sports. To help customers ease the transition, Xfinity offered a three-month promotional price that reduces the increase by about $10 per month.