Arsenal will take on Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday as Mikel Arteta's side bid to win a double after their Premier League success
15:23, 30 May 2026Updated 15:29, 30 May 2026
Arsenal faces PSG in the Champions League final
Arsenal faces PSG in the Champions League final(Image: 2024 Soccrates Images B.V.)
Virgin Media subscribers can tune into Arsenal's clash with Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on Saturday evening without paying a penny. After TNT Sports' divisive decision not to make the fixture available on free-to-air or streaming platforms, the cable provider is granting its UK TV customers complimentary access.
This allows those lacking an active HBO Max or TNT Sports package to still catch the match through Virgin. A special HD pop-up channel, 526, has been launched to broadcast the action live.
Those already holding a TNT Sports subscription via Virgin Media can carry on watching through TNT Sports 1 on channel 521. Virgin previously screened Aston Villa's recent Europa League final win and Crystal Palace's Europa Conference League success. In the US, CBS holds the broadcast rights.
In years gone by, supporters could enjoy European finals without charge. However, this year's contentious shift in policy even sparked an eleventh-hour intervention from the Prime Minister.
TNT, along with its forerunner BT Sport, had consistently offered free coverage annually since securing the broadcasting rights from ITV ten years ago. Initially, they achieved this by streaming the final simultaneously on YouTube.
More latterly, they made the action freely accessible via Discovery+. Yet following the switch to HBO Max, that's no longer the case. The move has sparked widespread criticism and evolved into something of a national talking point.
Sir Keir Starmer has urged TNT Sports to broadcast the Champions League final free of charge. The Prime Minister has already penned a letter to the broadcaster, pressing them to make their coverage accessible to all viewers.
Starmer spoke to talkSPORT about the matter, saying: "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.
LONDON, ENGLAND - MARCH 31: British Prime Minister Kier Starmer holds a roundtable meeting at Number 10 Downing Street on March 31, 2025 in London, United Kingdom. Prime Minister Keir Starmer is hosting a roundtable on adolescent safety with the creators of the television show 'Adolescence,' in discussion with charities and young people about issues raised in the show. The Netflix mini-series, created by Jack Thorne and Stephen Graham and directed by Philip Barantin, is a British crime drama about a 13-year-old boy accused of the murder of a female classmate, which delves into themes around misogyny and the impact of social media on young people. (Photo by Jack Taylor/Getty Images)
Sir Kier Starmer has weighed in on the free-to-air debate(Image: Getty Images)
"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 had previously posted on X: "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. That's not right. This is bigger than wanting to watch Arsenal in this historic final. It's bigger than one club.
"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."
Article continues below
TNT Sports responded with 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." PSG vs Arsenal is scheduled to take place at the Puskas Arena in Budapest, Hungary, on Saturday, May 30, with kick-off at 5pm UK time.