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Arsenal Lose CL Final, 16M Illegal Streams Trigger Starmer Appeal

6/2/2026

Summary

Arsenal Stream Scandal

Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30 2026, drawing 16.2 million illegal stream views.
Gaming Compliance International traced those streams to 3.7 million unique IP addresses.
Legal viewing on TNT Sports and HBO Max reached over 7 million people, with TNT reporting a 25.6 percent audience share.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wrote to TNT Sports urging a free broadcast, saying 89 percent of adverts on the illegal streams promoted unlicensed gambling brands.

Summary

TNT Sports Blocks

TNT Sports kept the Champions League final behind a paywall, rejecting Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer’s request for a free-to-air broadcast.
Over 13 million viewers watched the three European club finals on TNT Sports and HBO Max.
The final gave TNT Sports its second-highest UK TV audience share, matching the Manchester City-Inter Milan final three seasons earlier.
Season-long UEFA club competition viewership on TNT Sports rose 5 percent versus the prior season.

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Arsenal Stream Scandal

Arsenal lost to Paris Saint-Germain in the Champions League final on May 30 2026, drawing 16.2 million illegal stream views.
Gaming Compliance International traced those streams to 3.7 million unique IP addresses.
Legal viewing on TNT Sports and HBO Max reached over 7 million people, with TNT reporting a 25.6 percent audience share.
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer wrote to TNT Sports urging a free broadcast, saying 89 percent of adverts on the illegal streams promoted unlicensed gambling brands.

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