For the first time since 1992, the Champions League final will not be available on free TV for English fans. TNT Sport, which holds the broadcasting rights in the UK, has decided to include the match in its content accessible through a paid subscription. The game will also be broadcast on the HBO Max platform.
Three English teams in the final of three European cups… and no matches broadcast for free. The news has outraged English football fans after the announcement in the British press. In the UK, neither the Champions League final (Arsenal vs PSG), nor the Europa League final (Aston Villa vs Fribourg), nor the Conference League final (Crystal Palace vs Rayo Vallecano) will be broadcast for free. A first time since 1992.
This is due to a change in TNT Sports’ programming, which, since acquiring the rights in the 2015-2016 season, had previously broadcast the Champions League final for free. This year, the channel executives decided to include the match in the content accessible through a paid subscription of £31.99 (about €36.90).
The three European cup finals will also be available on HBO Max. In the UK, subscriptions to the streaming platform start at £4.99 per month (about €5.76) and go up to £9.99 (about €11.52) to watch programs without advertising.
The phenomenon of “crown jewels” in Great Britain
Now that TNT Sports’ decision has been made, no one can intervene, not even the British government. For a specific reason: European Cup finals are not considered “crown jewels”. In other words, the free broadcasting of European Cup finals is not guaranteed or protected by British law, even with the presence of an English club.
Currently, the Champions League final is categorized in the “List B”, which allows for paid live event broadcasting, provided that highlights are broadcast for free, as explained by The Guardian. This is also the case for qualification matches (male and female) for the World Cup or the Euros, as well as for rugby matches in the Six Nations Tournament.
Public service broadcasters are pushing for the transfer of these competitions to the “List A”, which guarantees free broadcasting, even though paid channels can also acquire the rights. This is the case in the UK for all matches in the World Cup and Euro football (male and female), Olympic and Paralympic Games, as well as the Rugby World Cup final.
Champions League final available on free TV in France
In France, there is no need to worry. The Champions League final, scheduled for May 30 at 6 p.m. in Budapest between PSG and Arsenal, will be broadcast for free. While all Parisian fans could follow the game on encrypted channels of the Canal+ group, the general public will be able to witness potential victory for Luis Enrique’s team.
French law requires the free broadcasting of “major sports events,” including the Champions League final. Just like last season, M6 will be responsible for the broadcast, even though the match will also be available on Canal+ channels.
/2026/05/18/6a0adb96b0207314575143.jpg "Trump is attacked because he puts God and his country first")
