Keep European Finals Free-to-Air

Tonight, lifelong Aston Villa supporters will watch their club compete in a European final for the first time since 1982. For many, this is a once-in-a-generation moment. Yet some may not get the chance.  

This will be the same for Crystal Palace supporters on 27 May, and Arsenal fans in the Champions League Final on 30 May.  

That is why I have signed a letter to Lisa Nandy MP, Secretary of State for Culture, Media and Sport, and tabled an Early Day Motion in Parliament calling on TNT Sports to reconsider its decision not to make this season’s European finals free-to-air. 

Football clubs are community assets woven into the social fabric of towns and cities across the country. Generations of families build memories around these very moments; an addiction, almost an obligation, as you support your club through the highs and lows.  

But on their biggest night in decades, too many will be locked out.  

This decision is part of a much wider problem in modern football. In recent years, subscription costs for fans wanting to watch football have soared, rising by around 57% between 2019/2020 and 2024/2025. At the same time, ticket prices inside stadiums continue to climb, concessionary discounts are disappearing, and more seats are being converted into expensive hospitality packages.  

All of this is taking place during an ongoing cost-of-living crises, where families are already desperately struggling with soaring household bills and the rising cost of essentials. Too often, fans’ unwavering loyalty is being exploited, as supporting their club becomes a ‘luxury’ they can no longer afford.  

Major sporting events that bring communities together should remain accessible to everyone, and I have signed a letter alongside Liberal Democrat colleagues to the Secretary of State for Culture, Media, and Sport, Lisa Nandy, and President of Warner Bros. Discovery Europe urging them to reconsider.  

Football belongs to the fans, and without them, clubs – and major finals – lose the atmosphere and identity that makes them so special.  

They mustn’t be priced out.