UK fans can watch the Champions League final without a paywall for the first time since 1992, but questions remain about why TNT Sports is charging HBO Max access and what this means for affordability and future rights. Explore the key details, what Prime Minister Starmer has said, which other finals are included, and whether this could set a precedent for UK streaming of major sports events.
TNT Sports has secured the rights to three UEFA finals, including the Champions League final, and is pairing access with a paid HBO Max subscription (£4.99/month). This marks a shift in how fans access big matches, moving from free-to-air or low-cost access in some past seasons to a paid model under the current rights arrangement.
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has pressed TNT Sports to reconsider the paywall, arguing that fans should have affordable access to major finals. He cited concerns about fans’ ability to watch key matches without prohibitive costs and called for a review of how streaming rights affect accessibility.
The deal includes the Champions League final plus two other UEFA finals. UK viewers will need a paid HBO Max subscription to access all three matches, rather than having one or more be free-to-view as in some previous years. The arrangement affects how fans watch not only the Champions League final but related finales as well.
Analysts say this could signal a broader shift toward paid streaming for marquee events in the UK, influenced by rights market dynamics and corporate restructuring within Warner Bros Discovery and its affiliates. Observers will monitor whether future finals follow a similar model or if exceptional cases will still offer free or low-cost access.
Access to the Champions League final and the two other UEFA finals is bundled with a monthly HBO Max subscription (£4.99). This price covers streaming access to the matches and related programming associated with those finals, but it is not a standalone pay-per-view; it’s tied to the HBO Max plan.
At present, the arrangement centers on HBO Max access bundled with TNT Sports rights. There is no widely advertised free-to-view option for these three finals under this deal. Fans seeking cost-free access may need to rely on traditional broadcasters if and when they offer any free-to-air windows, but current reporting emphasizes the paid streaming model for these events.
The British prime minister decried TNT Sports' decision to charge for access.