Arsenal will play for their first Champions League title tomorrow, Saturday, May 30, at 17:00 BST, 18:00 CEST, earlier than usual, but for the first time in 34 years, fans in United Kingdom won't be able to watch the match in free-to-air TV, despite the PM's Keir Starmer best intentions.
The Champions League final will be seen in a package on TNT Sports, which charges £30 per month for existing subscribers, and an offer of £5 for new subscribers during the first month. It also included the Europa League and Conference League competitions, both won by English teams Aston Villa and Crystal Palace.
Starmer sent a letter to TNT Sports asking them to reconsider their policy, reminding that the final "means so much to the fans in this country, which is also the home of football". "I am a strong advocate that the final of this competition should be free. Whether Arsenal plays or not. The working class shouldn't have to worry about whether or not they can afford a subscription to watch a match of this magnitude. The fans should come first", Starmer said (via EFE).
Meanwhile, UEFA was also displeased with TNT Sports decision: they didn't add any clause stipulating that the final should be free, because they hoped the network would act in good faith, as the final has been free since 1993, despite going through several different networks.
TNT Sports will hold the rights for all three UEFA competitions until the 2028/29 editions, after that the Champions League will go to Paramount, with Sky retaining the Europa League and Conference League. Before that, the UK could try to make the Champions League final a nationally recognised event, such as Olympic Games and Wimbledon, that would force networks to air it for free, but the House of the Lords rejected this initiative (that also included other events like the British Open golf tournament) six years ago.