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TNT Sports say seven million people watched the Champions League final this year following the decision not to make it free-to-air.
The broadcaster resisted calls from Arsenal-supporting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to show the Gunners clash with Paris Saint-Germain for nothing, as it had done previously.
The figure is significantly down on the 12.6m that watched Liverpool take on Real Madrid in the showpiece fixture in 2022, when predecessors BT Sport put the game out with no charge. The Liverpool audience was the highest ever for BT, with the fixture in a better timeslot. Overall viewing has declined by 10 per cent since 2022.
The last time an English side made the final was Manchester City, when they defeated Inter Milan in 2023.
While viewing figures were not readily available, TNT say the market share of 25.6 per cent on Saturday was comparable with that for City’s victory.
TNT declined to share how many new subscribers they or sister company HBO Max had picked up on the back of standing firm against the PM.
Only seven million people watched the Champions League final oN TNT Sports after they paywalled it
Those interested had the option to make a one-off £4.99 payment to HBO for a monthly subscription.
A TNT spokesperson said: ‘This year’s three European club finals were watched by over 13 million viewers across TNT Sports and HBO Max.
‘The UEFA Champions League final performed strongly in the UK, reaching more than 7 million people and delivering TNT Sports’ 2nd highest ever share of total TV audience – consistent with Manchester City vs Inter Milan from three seasons ago. Across the season, UEFA club competitions attracted larger audiences on TNT Sports with average audiences up 5% compared to last season.’
