On May 30, English viewers who want to watch the Champions League final between PSG and Arsenal will have to turn to a pay channel.
In France, to follow the PSG-Arsenal clash live from Budapest, viewers can choose between Canal+, the Champions League rights holder, and M6.
The French government has established a list of sporting events considered to be of major interest and therefore must be accessible on free-to-air television.
But across the English Channel, no free-to-air channel will broadcast this Champions League final. Indeed, TNT Sports, which holds the rights to the three European finals, with English clubs involved in all three, has decided not to air PSG-Arsenal free-to-air, which is a first in the history of football on television across the English Channel, where, for a long time, ITV broadcast this match live and free.
A decision that is making noise, particularly from UEFA, as confirmed by Matt Hughes, journalist for The Guardian.
"The rights holder, TNT Sports, would have irritated UEFA by choosing to charge UK supporters to watch the three European finals, even as English clubs were aiming for a historic treble," Hughes explained.
However, UEFA received nearly one billion pounds over a three-year period. And if TNT Sports can be so uncompromising, it is because the contract is about to change hands. Indeed, starting from the 2027-28 season, Paramount will broadcast the Champions League and Sky Sports will broadcast the Europa League and Conference League in England. In France, Canal+ pays $524 million per year for all three competitions, but is obliged to cede part of the rights to a free-to-air channel. Last year, the PSG-Inter final was watched by 8.8 million viewers on M6 and 3 million on Canal+.
Join the Community
Don't miss out on our ROUNDTABLE community and the latest news!
It's completely free to join. Share your thoughts, engage with our Roundtable writers, and chat with fellow members.
Download the free Roundtable APP, and stay even more connected!
