Championship fixtures: Birmingham vs Ipswich, Southampton vs Wrexham open 2025/26

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Birmingham vs Ipswich will kick off the new 2025/26 Sky Bet Championship season on Friday August 8, live on Sky Sports.

The teams played two leagues apart last term, with Chris Davies' Blues winning the Sky Bet League One title with an EFL record 111 points and Kieran McKenna's Tractor Boys relegated from the Premier League in their first campaign in the top flight since 2001/02.

The game at St Andrew's kicks off at 8pm, live on Sky Sports Football.

The opening weekend continues with a bumper day of action on Saturday August 9.

At 12.30pm, live on Sky Sports, relegated side Southampton host League One runners-up Wrexham in the Red Dragons' first second-tier fixture since 1982, while newly-promoted Charlton host Watford at The Valley.

In the third 12.30pm kick-off, Frank Lampard's Coventry - play-off semi-finalists last season and play-off runners-up in 2022/23 - welcome Hull to the Coventry Building Society Arena.

At 3pm, another six fixtures will be available to watch live on Sky Sports+, including first competitive games for Middlesbrough's Rob Edwards, Norwich's Liam Manning and QPR's Julien Stephan.

Later on, at 5.30pm, Bristol City travel to Bramall Lane to take on Sheffield United, who they lost 6-0 on aggregate to in last season's play-off semi-finals, live on Sky Sports.

The final game of the opening weekend sees relegated Leicester - Sky Bet Championship winners in 2023/24 - host Sheffield Wednesday at 4.30pm on Sunday August 10, live on Sky Sports.

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As the EFL play-offs get set to begin, take a look at some of the best goals from the Sky Bet Championship this season

The opening weekend Championship games - with every game live on Sky Sports

Friday August 8

Birmingham vs Ipswich, kick-off 8pm - Live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+

Saturday August 9

Southampton vs Wrexham, kick-off 12:30pm - Live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+

Charlton vs Watford, kick-off 12:30pm - Live on Sky Sports+

Coventry vs Hull, kick-off 12:30pm - Live on Sky Sports+

Middlesbrough vs Swansea, kick-off 3pm - Live on Sky Sports+

Norwich vs Millwall, kick-off 3pm - Live on Sky Sports+

Oxford vs Portsmouth, kick-off 3pm - Live on Sky Sports+

QPR vs Preston, kick-off 3pm - Live on Sky Sports+

Stoke vs Derby, kick-off 3pm - Live on Sky Sports+

West Brom vs Blackburn, kick-off 3pm - Live on Sky Sports+

Sheffield United vs Bristol City, kick-off 5:30pm - Live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+

Sunday August 10

Leicester vs Sheffield Wednesday, kick-off 4.30pm - Live on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+

How many of my team's matches will be live on Sky?

Every Championship, League One and League Two team will be featured live on Sky more than 20 times in the 2025/26 season.

The EFL is at the heart of Sky Sports+ coverage and will see over 1,000 games from 1,891 matches across the EFL, Carabao Cup and Vertu Trophy broadcast live throughout the season.

When will more TV selections be announced?

Within seven days of today's EFL fixture release, all broadcast-selected matches will be allocated until the end of September.

And before the start of the 2025/26 season, all TV selections will be allocated until the FA Cup third round in early January.

This is a landmark commitment, providing fans and clubs with almost six months' notice, an increase from the five weeks' notice given across the majority of the 2023/24 season.