Virgin Media offers free Champions League final access as Arsenal face PSG in Budapest

Virgin Media TV subscribers can watch Arsenal face Paris Saint-Germain in the UEFA Champions League final in Budapest on May 30 without paying anything extra.

The announcement comes after TNT Sports confirmed the final would not be made freely available to all viewers this year, breaking with a tradition that had held since the broadcaster — then operating as BT Sport — acquired the rights from ITV roughly a decade ago. In previous years, the final was simulcast on YouTube and, more recently, made available on Discovery+. The move to HBO Max has ended that arrangement.

The decision has drawn widespread criticism and become a matter of political debate. Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer wrote to TNT Sports urging them to reverse course, and has spoken publicly on the issue. “I just think it should be free — it’s always been free every year up to this year,” Starmer said. “It’s a big event, it should be free. I really do think they should do that, I think it’s the right thing to do.”

In a post on X, Starmer added: “Football should bring people together, not shut them out. For the first time since the competition began, fans won’t be able to watch the Champions League final for free. Hardworking people shouldn’t have to fork out for a subscription to watch this match.”

For those without a Virgin Media subscription, one remaining option is the HBO Max Basic With Ads plan, available through Prime Video’s HBO Max channel.

Arsenal are bidding to win the Champions League for the first time in the club’s history. Virgin Media also provided free coverage of Aston Villa’s recent Europa League final victory and Crystal Palace’s Europa Conference League triumph.