The Champions League final will not be broadcast on free-to-air television for the first time in the competition's history, meaning fans must pay to watch Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain.
TNT Sports Decision Angers UEFA
TNT Sports, the rights holders for the competition in the United Kingdom, have reportedly left UEFA seething with their decision to charge viewers for the match, scheduled for May 30 in Budapest, Hungary.
English clubs are chasing a clean sweep of European titles, with Aston Villa facing Freiburg in the Europa League final and Crystal Palace taking on Rayo Vallecano in the Conference League. All three finals will be behind a paywall.
The Europa League final takes place first on Wednesday in Istanbul, Turkey.
Warner Bros Discovery-owned TNT Sports, which had made finals free to view in previous years, has opted not to do so this season. Access is restricted to its streaming platform, HBO Max, with the cheapest subscription costing £4.99 or a monthly fee of £31.99.
History of Champions League Broadcast Rights
This marks the next step in the final moving to pay-TV. BT Sport, TNT Sports' predecessor, acquired UEFA rights in the 2015-16 season. Before that, the final was free on ITV, which had exclusive rights from the competition's launch in 1992 until 2003, then shared rights with Sky Sports until 2015.
According to The Guardian, UEFA is furious, arguing the decision breaches the spirit of a contract requiring 'best endeavours' to keep finals free.
Arsenal seeks their first Champions League title, but face a tough challenge against PSG, the defending champions. Villa and Palace are favourites in their respective finals. The Conference League final is set for May 27 in Leipzig, Germany.
