Sir Keir Starmer puts pressure on TNT Sports over Arsenal vs PSG Champions League final decision

Arsenal vs Paris Saint-Germain is due to be the first Champions League final not televised for free in the United Kingdom

Sir Keir Starmer has again called on TNT Sports to air the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain for free. The Prime Minister has already written a letter to the broadcaster urging them to make their coverage available to non-subscribers.

TNT, and their predecessor BT Sport, have previously always shown the match for free every year since acquiring the television rights from ITV a decade ago. They initially did so by simultaneously broadcasting the final live on YouTube.

More recently, they have made the coverage available for free on Discovery+. However, after moving to HBO Max, they are not.

Starmer has now spoken to talkSPORT about the situation, saying: "I just think it should be free, it's always been free every year up to this year, and I say this not as an Arsenal fan, all fans want to watch the Champions League final.

"It's a big event, it should be free, and that's why I wrote to them to say 'please make it free', I renew that actually, I really do think they should do that, I think it's the right thing to do."

Starmer previously said in a post on X: " Football should bring people together, not shut them out.

"For the first time since the competition began, fans won't be able to watch the Champions League final for free. That's not right. This is bigger than wanting to watch Arsenal in this historic final. It's bigger than one club.

"Hardworking people shouldn't have to fork out for a subscription to watch this match. I urge TNT Sports to reconsider and make the final next Saturday free to watch."

The PM echoed those sentiments in his letter to TNT Sports. Starmer wrote: "The Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and rightly means a lot to fans in this country - the home of football.

"I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not. Obviously, I want as many fellow fans as possible to be able to watch our team in this historic final for the first time in 20 years.

"However, this is bigger than that. This is about supporters of all teams coming together in living rooms and pubs in every corner of the country to watch the most elite players in Europe battle it out.

"Hardworking people should not have to worry about forking out for a subscription to watch a game of this magnitude. We should be putting supporters first.

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"That is why I have already encouraged FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable at this summer's World Cup. That is also why I want to strongly urge you to reconsider and make the final next Saturday free to watch for the millions of passionate football fans in this country."

TNT Sports said in a statement: "We have made all three UEFA finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max."