Arsenal will aim to win the Champions League for the very first time in their history when they take on PSG in tonight’s blockbuster final in Budapest. Luis Enrique’s side will start the showdown at the Puskas Arena as favourites, having clinched the trophy 12 months ago with a crushing 5-0 victory over Inter Milan. Victory for PSG will see them become just the second team ever, after Real Madrid (2016-18), to win the competition back-to-back in the Champions League era. However, the Gunners will be cautiously optimistic of creating an upset as they look to finally get their hands on the elusive European Cup to go with the Premier League title they clinched last week.
Is Arsenal vs PSG Being Shown on YouTube?
Unlike in previous years, the Champions League final will not be shown on YouTube. TNT Sports, which holds the rights to broadcast the Champions League in the UK, has decided not to make the final free to watch. This marks the first time since the competition was rebranded 34 years ago that UK audiences will not be able to view the final for free. Instead, fans who wish to watch the game but are not currently TNT Sports subscribers will need to pay to stream the final through HBO Max, where prices start from £4.99. Last week’s Europa League final and Wednesday’s Conference League final were also not shown on YouTube. The decision to scrap the free live streams for the three European finals is said to have been met with disappointment by UEFA.
Prime Minister Calls for Free Access
Prime Minister Keir Starmer has added his voice to the calls to make the final free-to-air, urging the broadcaster to ‘reconsider’ their decision. In a letter to TNT executives, Starmer wrote: ‘I was saddened to see that, for the first time since the competition started 34 years ago, TNT Sports has decided that the Champions League final will not be free to watch for football supporters here in the UK. The Champions League is the biggest club football competition in the world and rightly means a lot to fans in this country – the home of football. I am a firm believer that the final of this competition should remain free to watch, whether Arsenal have made it or not. Obviously, I want as many fellow fans as possible to be able to watch our team in this historic final for the first time in 20 years. However, this is bigger than that. This is about supporters of all teams coming together in living rooms and pubs in every corner of the country to watch the most elite players in Europe battle it out. Hard-working people should not have to worry about forking out for a subscription to watch a game of this magnitude. We should be putting supporters first. That is why I have already encouraged FIFA to do more to make tickets more affordable at this summer’s World Cup. That is also why I want to strongly urge you to reconsider and make the final on Saturday free to watch for the millions of passionate football fans in this country.’
Thousands of Arsenal fans have made the trip to the Hungarian capital, with many more expected to tune into the game on TV tonight. The match kicks off at 5pm BST at the Puskas Arena in Budapest.
