The 2026 Champions League final between Arsenal and Paris Saint-Germain in Hungary will be unavailable for free. The previous ten finals were broadcast free via YouTube and Discovery+. TNT Sports, owned by Warner Bros. Discovery, has held the rights since the 2015/16 season, but the final is now exclusive to HBO Max and its pay-TV channel. Warner Bros. Discovery aims to increase HBO Max subscriptions in the UK after its launch. UEFA reportedly feels uneasy because the contract includes a best-endeavours clause to keep the final free-to-air. The broadcaster is not legally required to guarantee free access, allowing it to set terms going forward. Earlier, ITV and the BBC shared free-to-air coverage before 2015.
"According to The Guardian, UEFA reportedly feel uneasy about the decision, given its contract with WBD states that best endeavours should be made for the final to be free-to-air. The best features, fun and footballing quizzes, straight to your inbox every week. Crucially, the broadcaster is under no legal obligation to ensure this an ideal loophole that allows WBD to set the terms going forward for Europe's greatest ever competition."
"Prior to the broadcaster's owning of these rights, the Champions League final was free-to-air under the handling of ITV, between the years of 1993 and 2015. ITV held the rights exclusively for part of that period before sharing them with Sky Sports, and prior to 1993, the BBC alternated coverage of the game with ITV. Some of the sport's greatest ever games have been free-to-watch in"
Read at www.fourfourtwo.com
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