The Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain will not be available to watch for free in the UK for the first time in the modern era.
Ever since the European Cup was rebranded to the Champions League 34 years ago, the final has been available to watch without a subscription to any premium TV service – shown on ITV from 1992 to 2015 and then streamed for free by TNT Sports and its forerunner, BT Sport, for the past decade.
However, UK rights holder TNT Sports (owned by Warner Bros Discovery) has confirmed that this year, viewers will only be able to watch the clash at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on Saturday 30 May on either its own platform or HBO Max, both requiring a subscription.
The move prompted UK prime minister Keir Starmer to speak out and write to TNT Sports in a bid to reverse the decision, while the broadcaster maintained a subscription for HBO Max was “exceptional value” from £4.99.
“I was saddened to see that, for the first time since the competition started 34 years ago, TNT Sports has decided that the Champions League final will not be free to watch for football supporters here in the UK,” wrote Starmer. “The Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and rightly means a lot to fans in this country – the home of football. I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not.
“Obviously, I want as many fellow fans as possible to be able to watch our team in this historic final for the first time in 20 years. However, this is bigger than that. This is about supporters of all teams coming together in living rooms and pubs in every corner of the country to watch the most elite players in Europe battle it out. Hard-working people should not have to worry about forking out for a subscription to watch a game of this magnitude.”
In response, a TNT Sports spokesperson said last week before Uefa’s finals: “It has been a privilege to bring Uefa club competitions to sports fans across the UK throughout the season. Having three Premier League clubs reach the finals shows the strength of English football and something that we are proud to continue to support.
“We have made all three Uefa finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max that also includes the great entertainment on the service. This represents exceptional value for fans to watch the conclusion of the competitions.”
The same also applied to the other two European finals, also involving English clubs – when Aston Villa defeated Freiburg in the Europa League final and Crystal Palace won the Conference League against Rayo Vallecano a week later.
TNT Sports can be accessed through HBO Max, BT, Sky, Virgin Media or Amazon PVC, with subscriptions typically costing between £25 and £34 a month, while a separate HBO Max plan in the UK starts from £4.99. HBO Max is also available to Sky entertainment customers at no additional cost.
Arsenal have reached the Champions League final for just the second time in their history, and the first since 2006, with reigning champions PSG standing in the way of Mikel Arteta’s men, who will try to seal a remarkable double as they also aim to outduel Manchester City for a first Premier League title for 22 years.
TNT Sports are set to lose TV rights to all three European competitions from the 2027-28 season, having been outbid by Paramount for the Champions League and by Sky Sports for the Europa League and Conference League in Uefa’s media rights auction last year.
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