The UEFA Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in Budapest on 30 May will not be available free-to-air in the United Kingdom for the first time in decades. Multiple outlets report that TNT Sports, which holds the UK broadcast rights for this season’s European finals, has chosen to make the match available only to subscribers rather than on free-to-view channels.
BBC News and The Guardian say the decision comes despite public pressure and political calls, including remarks attributed to Keir Starmer urging TNT Sports to reconsider and make the final free to watch. The Guardian also reports that UEFA is understood to be unhappy with the approach, particularly because English clubs are competing for major trophies.
Other coverage adds that TNT Sports is placing more than just the Champions League final behind paywalls, including the Europa League and Conference League finals, as part of a broader shift of elite football toward subscription broadcasting in the UK.
