**Community Shield Moves Behind Paywall as New Broadcaster Secures Exclusive Rights**
Football fans across the UK face a significant shake-up this weekend, with news emerging that the traditional curtain-raiser to the English football season — the FA Community Shield — will no longer be available on free-to-air television. The match, held on Sunday at Wembley Stadium, will see Premier League champions Liverpool take on Crystal Palace, the latest FA Cup winners, with the fixture now moving to a paid subscription channel for the first time in recent memory.
The encounter, which has served as a prelude to the top-flight campaign for nearly 120 years, has customarily been accessible to all via major terrestrial broadcasters. This year, however, the television rights have changed hands, pushing live coverage solely onto TNT Sports and its streaming service, discovery+. The switch means viewers will need an active subscription to access the match, ending a longstanding tradition of the Community Shield being readily available to the wider public without extra charges.
Sunday’s fixture not only signals the return of competitive domestic football but also marks a milestone for fans of both clubs. Liverpool, managed by Arne Slot, are no strangers to the Community Shield, having claimed the trophy 16 times — a tally bettered only by Manchester United and Arsenal. The Reds will be looking to add more silverware following their dominant capture of the league title last season.
Crystal Palace, meanwhile, enter new territory as they make their debut in the Community Shield. Their place at Wembley was secured in dramatic fashion, with talisman Eberechi Eze clinching their historic FA Cup triumph over Manchester City, earning the club its first major trophy and a spot in this prestigious encounter. The presence of Palace’s manager, Oliver Glasner, is expected to galvanise the south London side as they look to capitalise on recent success.
Until this year, ITV had broadcast the Community Shield, allowing supporters across the country to tune in without subscription fees. However, with the network losing its rights to the match, fans are faced with the prospect of paying for coverage or, potentially, missing out altogether. The Football Association (FA) confirmed the broadcaster switch in a statement earlier this week, outlining that TNT Sports 1 would air the match live, with build-up beginning at 2pm and scheduled to conclude at approximately 6pm.
This development comes against the backdrop of ongoing changes in the allocation of football broadcasting rights. Notably, ITV is also set to lose its remaining package of FA Cup matches from the 2025/26 season onwards. In an effort to maintain some access for non-subscribers, the BBC is poised to take on a more extensive role, set to show 14 FA Cup games live each season, though TNT Sports will continue to air numerous other fixtures behind their paywall.
The move to subscription-only coverage has sparked debate within the football community, raising questions about accessibility and the growing commercialisation of the game’s most celebrated events. Observers have noted that such a shift risks alienating sections of the fanbase, particularly those who have traditionally enjoyed the Community Shield as part of broader free-to-air sporting coverage during the summer.
For viewers looking to keep up with the action, the new arrangement requires planning. Kick-off at Wembley is set for 3pm BST, with full build-up and post-match analysis available on TNT Sports’ subscription platforms. The change also underscores the evolving landscape of sports media, where increasing competition for broadcast rights and the rise of streaming services are fundamentally altering how supporters access their favourite fixtures.
As the football world adapts, many fans will be weighing up the value of another subscription against their desire to catch the first competitive clash of the season. While for Liverpool and Crystal Palace, the focus will be on battling for the season’s opening piece of silverware, for television audiences, the Community Shield’s move off free-to-air signals yet another moment of transformation in the viewing habits and traditions of British sport.