Championship Restart: Live games on Sky Sports

0

Sky Sports has confirmed that it will show live coverage of 45 EFL matches when the 2019/20 season restarts.

The Sky Bet Championship will provisionally restart on 20 June and the broadcaster has announced the first games to be broadcast live when the league resumes, with promotion-chasing Leeds, West Brom, Fulham and Brentford all in front of the cameras on the first weekend back.

In total, 30 of the remaining 108 matches to be played in the Sky Bet Championship will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, including selected 3pm kick-offs.

They will also broadcast all 15 games of the EFL play-offs that are provisionally scheduled to be played across the three EFL divisions.

As part of an innovative arrangement between the EFL and Sky Sports, season ticket holders will be able to watch any live game involving their club via the EFL’s iFollow online platform.

They will also be given access to watch their teams’ non-live TV games, while fans without season tickets will be able to purchase non-live TV games for £10. Further information about the scheme will be confirmed in due course.

Fans can also make sure they are across all the action by tuning into a new live goals show on Sky Sports for non-live TV fixtures.

The action returns with a derby double-header on Saturday, 20 June, as west London rivals Fulham and Brentford meet at Craven Cottage, before second-placed West Brom take on Birmingham later that afternoon with the chance to go top, for a few hours at least.

Current leaders Leeds will try to retain their advantage and edge that bit closer to a Premier League return when they travel to Cardiff on Sunday, 21 June.

Sky Sports has confirmed a further eight games to be broadcast live up to the beginning of July, including more crunch clashes at the top between Leeds and Fulham, and Brentford and West Brom.

The race for the play-offs will also be in the spotlight, with Nottingham Forest, Preston, Bristol City and Millwall all set to feature in June.

Seven more live fixtures have been announced for the beginning of July, including Charlton’s London derby with Millwall on Friday, 3 July, before the East Midlands derby between Derby and Nottingham Forest the next day.

The final matches of the Championship’s regular season are set to be played on 22 July, which will result in the division’s play-off final taking place in early August.

Commenting on the return of the EFL, Sky Sports managing director Rob Webster said:

“The partnership between Sky Sports and the EFL supports clubs and their communities across the country. We are pleased to have reached a solution which works for them; and appreciate the positive and collaborative spirit of the negotiations.

“The availability for existing Season Ticket holders to stream matches from their Club platform will compliment Sky Sports in telling the complete story of the climax to season.”

The restart date of 20 June is subject to all safety requirements and Government guidance being met, and that clubs receive clearance from their local authorities in order to stage matches at their home grounds.

EFL chair Rick Parry added:

“I would firstly like to thank the team at Sky Sports for their patience and support whilst we have worked through some of the complex issues surrounding our agreement that have arisen as a result of live sport being unable to take place due to the current crisis.

“There is no question that COVID-19 has detrimentally affected all industries and, whilst we have only ever wanted to return when it is safe to do, we have always understood that when we did, we had to balance the requirements of our broadcast partners with the unique and challenging financial circumstances that our Clubs face.

“We are delighted to have reached such an agreeable and sensible arrangement that ensures the financial impact to Clubs is minimised, Sky Sports are able to get their football business back up with one of the most eagerly anticipated Championship run-ins in years and, importantly, fans get access to games during a period where guidelines prevent them from attending in person.”

As it stands, none of the remaining EFL games will be made available to watch on free-to-air television, but extended free-to-air highlights of the remainder of the season will continue to be shown on Quest, at 9pm on Saturday evenings, plus with midweek shows.

No EFL matches have been played since early March, with the campaign and UK football across the board suspended because of the coronavirus pandemic.

Outside of the Championship, League One clubs have voted to formally end their season, while League Two clubs decided to finish their season back in May.

League Two has confirmed their play-off schedule and all five matches will be broadcast live on Sky Sports, starting on 18 June, two days before the Championship resumes. The League One play-offs will start on 3 July.

Details of the live EFL Championship matches to be broadcast live on Sky Sports, plus League One and League Two Play-offs TV schedule, can be found below.

THURSDAY 18th JUNE

Colchester United v Exeter City
Sky Bet League Two: P-O SF, 1st Leg

17:15

Northampton Town v Cheltenham Town
Sky Bet League Two: P-O SF, 1st Leg

19:45

SATURDAY 20th JUNE

Fulham v Brentford
Sky Bet Championship

12:30

West Brom v Birmingham City
Sky Bet Championship

15:00

SUNDAY 21st JUNE

Cardiff City v Leeds United
Sky Bet Championship

12:00

MONDAY 22nd JUNE

Exeter City v Colchester United
Sky Bet League Two: P-O SF, 2nd Leg

17:15

Cheltenham Town v Northampton Town
Sky Bet League Two: P-O SF, 2nd Leg

20:00

FRIDAY 26th JUNE

Brentford v West Brom
Sky Bet Championship

19:45

SATURDAY 27th JUNE

Preston North End v Cardiff City
Sky Bet Championship

12:30

Leeds United v Fulham
Sky Bet Championship

15:00

SUNDAY 28th JUNE

Bristol City v Sheffield Wednesday
Sky Bet Championship

12:00

Nottingham Forest v Huddersfield Town
Sky Bet Championship

14:15

MONDAY 29th JUNE

Sky Bet League Two Play-off Final
Wembley Stadium

19:30

TUESDAY 30th JUNE

Millwall v Swansea City
Sky Bet Championship

17:00

WEDNESDAY 1st JULY

Preston North End v Derby County
Sky Bet Championship

17:00

THURSDAY 2nd JULY

Hull City v Middlesbrough
Sky Bet Championship

17:00

FRIDAY 3rd JULY

Portsmouth v Oxford United
Sky Bet League One: P-O SF, 1st Leg

17:30

Fleetwood Town v Wycombe Wanderers
Sky Bet League One: P-O SF, 1st Leg

19:30

Charlton Athletic v Millwall
Sky Bet Championship

20:15

SATURDAY 4th JULY

Derby County v Nottingham Forest
Sky Bet Championship

12:30

Bristol City v Cardiff City
Sky Bet Championship

15:00

SUNDAY 5th JULY

Swansea City v Sheffield Wednesday
Sky Bet Championship

12:00

MONDAY 6th JULY

Oxford United v Portsmouth
Sky Bet League One: P-O SF, 2nd Leg

17:00

Wycombe Wanderers v Fleetwood Town
Sky Bet League One: P-O SF, 2nd Leg

19:30

TUESDAY 7th JULY

Nottingham Forest v Fulham
Sky Bet Championship

17:00

WEDNESDAY 8th JULY

West Brom v Derby County
Sky Bet Championship

17:00

THURSDAY 9th JULY

Leeds United v Stoke City
Sky Bet Championship

17:00

FRIDAY 10th JULY

Huddersfield Town v Luton Town
Sky Bet Championship

18:00

Fulham v Cardiff City
Sky Bet Championship

20:15

SATURDAY 11th JULY

Derby County v Brentford
Sky Bet Championship

12:30

SUNDAY 12th JULY

Swansea City v Leeds United
Sky Bet Championship

13:30

MONDAY 13th JULY

Sky Bet League One Play-off Final
Wembley Stadium

19:30

SUNDAY 26th JULY

6th Position v 3rd Position
Sky Bet Championship: P-O SF 1st Leg

18:30

MONDAY 27th JULY

5th Position v 4th Position
Sky Bet Championship: P-O SF 1st Leg

19:45

WEDNESDAY 29th JULY

5th Position v 6th Position
Sky Bet Championship: P-O SF 2nd Leg

19:45

THURSDAY 30th JULY

4th Position v 5th Position
Sky Bet Championship: P-O SF 2nd Leg

19:45

TUESDAY 4th AUGUST

Sky Bet Championship Play-off Final
Wembley Stadium

19:45

Leave a Reply