Virgin Media customers can watch Arsenal take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday night for free. The cable TV company will provide its TV subscribers with access at no extra cost, following TNT Sports' controversial decision not to make the fixture free-to-air or free-to-stream.
A dedicated HD pop-up channel, 526, has been activated for live coverage. Those with an active TNT Sports subscription on Virgin Media can continue to access TNT Sports 1 through channel 521. Virgin previously showed Aston Villa's Europa League final victory and Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League triumph.
In previous years, fans could enjoy European finals for free, but that has changed this year. TNT Sports, and its predecessor BT Sport, had shown the game for free every year since acquiring the television rights from ITV a decade ago, initially via YouTube and more recently on Discovery+. However, after moving to HBO Max, the final is no longer free.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has called on TNT Sports to air the final for free, writing a letter to the broadcaster and speaking to talkSPORT. He said: 'I just think it should be free, it's always been free every year up to this year... all fans want to watch the Champions League final.'
Arsenal face PSG at the Puskas Arena in Budapest on May 30, with kick-off at 5pm UK time. Fans without a TNT Sports subscription can also watch by signing up to the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan via Prime Video's HBO Max channel.
