Uefa expects more viewers for Champions League final despite no free-to-air coverage

• HBO Max subscribers in the UK likely to boost numbers

• Presence of an English club will also have a positive effect

Uefa is expecting far higher UK viewing figures for next week’s Champions League final than in recent seasons despite TNT Sport’s controversial decision not to make the game available free-to-air for the first time since the competition’s rebrand 34 years ago.

An average audience of about 1 million watched the Champions League final for free on TNT’s streaming service, discovery+, over each of the past two seasons. HBO Max, which will be showing the Paris Saint-Germain v Arsenal final alongside TNT Sports, is available in more than 10 million UK households.