English football fans will have to pay to watch the finals of the Champions League, Europa League, and Conference League, despite English clubs participating in all three. TNT Sports, the broadcaster, has decided to end the practice of free broadcasts for the final matches of European football competitions. This decision has sparked significant public dissatisfaction.

The End of a 34-Year Tradition

For the first time since the competition adopted its current format 34 years ago, the Champions League final will not be available for free. Arsenal fans, who are waiting for a final appearance after 20 years, are particularly affected. The Gunners will face PSG in the final on May 30 at Puskás Arena in Budapest.

Paying for Europa and Conference League Finals

The decision also affects the finals of the Europa and Conference Leagues. In the Europa League final on June 20 at Tüpraş Stadium in Istanbul, Aston Villa will face Freiburg. The Conference League final will take place a week later in Leipzig between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano. These matches will only be available to subscribers.

Subscription Is the Only Option

While previous years allowed fans to watch finals for free via YouTube or other internet platforms, this year's broadcasts will only be available to those who subscribe to the streaming service HBO Max. The cheapest subscription costs £4.99 (€5.76), while a monthly subscription to TNT Sports on most platforms costs £31.99 (€36.90).

Dissatisfaction at UEFA and Future Broadcasts

TNT Sports' decision is reportedly causing dissatisfaction at UEFA, where they believe the spirit of the agreement, which requires the "best efforts" to make the finals accessible to a wide audience, is being violated. TNT Sports will lose broadcasting rights for all three competitions starting in the 2027/28 season.

Paramount will take over the Champions League broadcasts, while Sky Sports will have rights to the Europa and Conference Leagues. However, this change does not alleviate the situation for fans this year.