Starmer Urges TNT to Free Arsenal-PSG Final After 34 Years of UK Free Access End

16 articles · Updated · BBC.com · May 23

Next Saturday's Arsenal-PSG Champions League final is set to be the first since 1992 not shown free-to-air in the UK, prompting Keir Starmer to press TNT Sports to reverse course.
In a letter to TNT executives, Starmer said fans should not have to pay to watch a match of that scale and argued the issue goes beyond Arsenal's first final in 20 years.
TNT defended the plan, saying all three UEFA club finals are available via HBO Max from £4.99 a month rather than a full sports subscription.
The paywall follows Warner Bros Discovery's rebrand of BT Sport as TNT Sports and the end of the previous free streaming option; a 2020 proposal to protect the final as a listed event was rejected.
The dispute lands in a season with three Premier League finalists, though TNT will lose European club rights from 2027-28 to Paramount+ and Sky Sports.

With TV rights fragmenting, must fans now accept paying for major sports finals as the new normal?

If a £5 fee causes public outcry, what is the true value of 'free' access for national sporting events?

As broadcasters face financial cliffs, can government force free access without destabilizing the sports media market?