Starmer and Football Fans Demand Champions League Final Be Free to Watch The Champions League final is set to be behind a paywall in the UK for the first time ever this weekend, sparking a joint campaign by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Football Supporters’ Association (FSA) to reverse the decision. The showpiece European club competition final, which will feature Arsenal and Paris St Germain, faces exclusion from free-to-air television and online streaming for the first time in its 34-year history. This marks a significant shift from decades of tradition, where the final was always broadcast without charge to millions of fans. Starmer, a lifelong Arsenal supporter, has joined forces with the FSA and numerous fan groups to urge broadcaster TNT Sports to abandon its plan to keep the final exclusively on a subscription channel. The Prime Minister’s involvement has amplified the campaign, as he has publicly expressed disappointment over the decision. A joint statement released by the FSA and Starmer’s office emphasized the importance of preserving the tradition of free access to European finals, stating, “Football is for the fans. This is bigger than any one club or match. This is about putting fans first.” The statement called on TNT Sports to honor its historical role in making the final available to all, rather than restricting it to paying subscribers. The campaign has garnered widespread support from major supporter trusts and unions across England. Signatories include the Arsenal Supporters Trust, Aston Villa Supporters Trust, Citizens Trust – Manchester City Supporters Union, Chelsea Supporters Trust, and Crystal Palace Independent Supporters Association.#arsenal #tnt_sports #paris_st_germain #keir_starmer #football_supporters_association
