Sir Keir Starmer has once again urged TNT Sports to broadcast the Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain without charge.
The Prime Minister previously wrote to the broadcaster requesting that their coverage be made accessible to those without subscriptions.
TNT Sports, alongside its predecessor BT Sport, historically screened the Champions League final at no cost each year after obtaining the television rights from ITV a decade ago.
The broadcaster initially achieved this by simultaneously streaming the final live on YouTube, before later providing coverage free of charge on Discovery+.
However, following their transition to HBO Max, the final is no longer available to viewers without a paid subscription.
Gunners supporter Starmer addressed the matter with talkSPORT, stating: “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.”
He continued: “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 posted on X that football should unite rather than exclude people, arguing the issue extends far beyond Arsenal’s historic appearance in the final.
His post read: “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.”
In his letter to TNT Sports, Starmer wrote that the Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and means a great deal to fans across the country.
He added: “I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not.”
The Prime Minister noted this is Arsenal’s first appearance in the Champions League final in 20 years, but insisted the matter is larger than any single club.
Starmer wrote that the occasion 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.”
He also referenced his efforts to encourage FIFA to make tickets more affordable at this summer’s World Cup, framing supporter access as a broader priority for his government.
In response, TNT Sports issued a statement saying: “We have made all three UEFA finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max.”
