The Champions League final in Budapest will kick off at 5pm BST on Saturday, with Paris Saint-Germain facing Arsenal and the pre-match kick-off show expected to begin about half an hour earlier. That means viewers asking what time does the champions league start are looking at a match that begins at 6pm local time, three hours earlier than the usual final start.
For fans in the UK, the day starts much earlier than the whistle. TNT Sports 1 begins its Champions League final programme at 3pm BST, giving subscribers a long lead-in before the ceremony and the game itself, while the kick-off show is due within 30 minutes of the match start, around 4.30pm BST. A slightly later start time of 4.45pm has also been suggested, leaving the exact minute of the opening ceremony still a little loose.
The build-up is designed around a final that has been shifted forward to make it more accessible, inclusive and impactful for everyone involved. TNT Sports subscribers can also watch live online through the HBO Max app and website, while the show will be carried live on the official UEFA website and YouTube channel, widening the audience beyond the TV feed.
The performance itself belongs to The Killers, who are headlining this year’s Champions League final kick-off show after agreeing to appear in Budapest without hesitation. Brandon Flowers and his band also appear in The Race Begins, a new short film that will run before their set, alongside Sir David Beckham. Flowers said some stages speak for themselves, and the band added that they were honoured to celebrate the teams and players in what they expect to be an epic match.
That leaves one detail still worth watching for on Saturday afternoon: whether the ceremony begins at the earlier 4.30pm slot or edges closer to 4.45pm. For viewers, the key time is already fixed — the final starts at 5pm BST, and anything before that is now part of the show.
