Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged TNT Sports to reverse its decision to place next weekend’s Champions League final behind a paywall, calling for the highly anticipated clash between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain to be made available free-to-air for UK viewers. In a letter sent to senior executives at the broadcaster, Starmer said he was disappointed by the move and appealed for the final to remain accessible to football fans across the country, warning that supporters should not have to pay extra to watch one of the biggest matches in world football.

The Prime Minister highlighted that every Champions League final since the competition was rebranded from the European Cup in 1992 has been shown free-to-air in the UK, making TNT Sports’ decision a major break from tradition.

In his letter, 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 fixture] will not be free to watch for football supporters here in the UK.”

An Arsenal supporter himself, Starmer said the issue goes beyond personal interest in seeing his team compete in a major European final, insisting the match should be accessible to all football fans regardless of which clubs are involved.

He said: “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.”

Starmer also argued that the financial burden of another subscription service would be unfair on many supporters.

“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 next Saturday free to watch for the millions of passionate football fans in this country.”

TNT Sports recently confirmed that all three European club finals this season would only be available to paying subscribers, meaning fans also needed a subscription to watch Aston Villa’s Europa League final and will face the same requirement for the Conference League final between Crystal Palace and Rayo Vallecano.

Defending its decision, TNT Sports said in a statement: “It has been a privilege to bring Uefa club competitions to sports fans across the UK throughout the season.

“Having three Premier League clubs reach the finals shows the strength of English football and something that we are proud to continue to support.

“We have made all three Uefa finals this year available from just £4.99, the price for a month-long subscription to HBO Max that also includes the great entertainment on the service. This represents exceptional value for fans to watch the conclusion of the competitions.”