Virgin Media customers can watch Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday night for free. Following TNT Sports' controversial announcement that the fixture would not be free-to-air or free-to-stream, the cable TV company will provide its TV subscribers with access at no extra cost.
This means that those without an active HBO Max or TNT Sports subscription can still watch the game on Virgin. A dedicated HD pop-up channel, 526, has been activated, providing live coverage. Viewers with a current TNT Sports subscription on Virgin Media can continue to access TNT Sports 1 through channel 521.
In previous years, fans could enjoy European finals for free. But that's changed this year in a controversial decision that prompted a late plea from Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer. TNT, and their predecessor BT Sport, have previously shown the game 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. The decision has courted controversy and become something of an international debate. Sir Keir Starmer has called on TNT Sports to air the Champions League final for free, writing a letter to the broadcaster urging them to make their coverage available for all.
Arsenal have reached the UEFA Champions League final where they face Paris Saint-Germain on May 30. Fans can watch the game without a TNT Sports subscription by signing up to the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan via Prime Video's HBO Max channel. 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.'
