Europa League Final Goes Behind Paywall: How to Watch Aston Villa vs Freiburg

For the first time, supporters will need to reach for their wallets to watch the Europa League final, as TNT Sports has ditched its usual free-streaming gesture for this year's showpiece.

Aston Villa's clash with Freiburg on Wednesday, 20 May will be exclusively behind a paywall in the UK, marking a significant shift from the channel's previous practice of offering complimentary access to both the Europa and Champions League finals.

The silver lining? You needn't commit to a full TNT Sports subscription. Those with an existing Amazon Prime account can bolt on TNT Sports as an add-on for a one-off payment, granting a month's worth of access that conveniently covers the Europa League, Conference League, and Champions League finals. If you don't have Prime, a free trial is available before adding the channel to your account.

The stage is set in Istanbul for Villa to claim their first piece of European silverware since that glorious European Cup triumph of 1982. Manager Unai Emery arrives as something of a tournament specialist, having lifted the trophy on four separate occasions. A victory would secure automatic Champions League football for next season.

Freiburg, meanwhile, are no soft touch. The German outfit recently demolished RB Leipzig 4-1 and have constructed an attacking unit led by prolific marksman Vincenzo Grifo under the guidance of Julian Schuster. This is uncharted territory for the Black Forest club—they've never reached a Europa League final before and will be hunting their maiden title in the competition.

Villa face a selection headache heading into the final. Boubacar Kamara is ruled out entirely, whilst fellow midfielder Amadou Onana remains a fitness concern. Should Onana fail to recover, expect Victor Lindelof to partner Youri Tielemans in midfield.

Freiburg's squad will be without Japanese international Yuito Suzuki, though they can call upon 20-year-old midfielder Johan Manzambi, who has impressed considerably for the side this season.

TNT Sports' coverage kicks off at 6pm UK time from Turkey, with two hours of pre-match theatre before the 8pm kick-off.