Four teams will compete for promotion to the Premier League alongside Leeds United and Burnley in the 2024/25 Championship play-offs.
The final, known as the most lucrative game in football due to the financial rewards in the top flight, will determine the team hoping to avoid the fate of last season’s winners.
Southampton, who defeated Leeds, are facing an immediate return to the Championship after a disappointing campaign in the Premier League.
101GreatGoals provides information on the dates, locations, and organization of the EFL play-offs.
Leeds’ promotion celebration begins! 🍾pic.twitter.com/jEcYS7GID1
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) April 28, 2025
When are the 2025 Championship playoffs?
The Championship play-offs will commence five days after the conclusion of the regular season on May 8 and will run until May 24.
Championship playoff dates and kickoff times
Below are the dates for each leg of the semi-finals, all starting at 20:00 BST.
Thursday, May 8
6th vs 3rd
Friday, May 9
5th vs 4th
Monday, May 12
3rd vs 6th
Tuesday, May 13
4th vs 5th
Developing the next generation of stars! 💫
High praise for the #EFL from @jobebellingham7 🙌#EFLAwards pic.twitter.com/OWypEDgJGO
— EFL (@EFL) April 28, 2025
When is the 2025 Championship playoff final?
The Championship play-off final is scheduled for Saturday, May 24, 2025, giving the winners less than three months to prepare for the upcoming Premier League season starting on August 16.
Details regarding the kick-off time will be confirmed closer to the end of the regular season and published on the EFL website.
Last season’s final kicked off at 15:00.
Where will the 2025 Championship playoff final take place?
The final will be held at Wembley Stadium, the traditional venue since 2007.
Prior to that, Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted the event for six seasons, while the old Wembley Stadium was the venue from 1990 to 2000.
BURNLEY are PROMOTED to the Premier League! 🙌 #EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/WYI4i70CJl
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) April 21, 2025
Championship table
For the latest standings and match-ups, visit the Championship table on the EFL website.
How do the EFL playoffs function?
The EFL play-offs are an annual series of matches that determine the final promotion slots in each EFL division.
Introduced in 1987, the play-offs involve the four teams finishing below the automatic promotion spots in each division through a series of matches.
In the Championship, the third-placed team faces the sixth-placed team, while the fourth-placed team plays the fifth-placed team in two-legged semi-finals.
As illustrated in the fixtures above, the first leg is hosted by the lower-placed team, with the second leg at the higher-placed team’s ground.
The victor is determined by aggregate score and advances to a one-off final at Wembley Stadium to decide the promotion spot. Away goals do not count as a tiebreaker.
LEEDS UNITED are back in the Premier League! ⚪️👏#EFL | #SkyBetChampionship pic.twitter.com/sWrqZfN3XI
— Sky Bet Championship (@SkyBetChamp) April 21, 2025
Are penalties and extra time utilized in the playoffs?
Extra time and, if necessary, penalties are employed if the aggregate score is level after regular time in the second legs of the semi-finals and in the final.
How to watch the EFL Championship playoffs on TV
Sky Sports has secured the rights to broadcast over 1,000 live EFL matches per season starting from 2024/25, with games airing on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+.
ITV also broadcasts select matches available on Sky Sports, along with 55 highlight shows each season.
Pricing for Sky Sports and TNT Sports subscriptions varies. Sky Sports can be accessed via Now TV, priced at £14.99 for a day pass, £26 per month for a six-month pass, or £34.99 per month with no contract.
Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, offering live streams and a dedicated channel.
These scenes outside Elland Road 😍😍 pic.twitter.com/k9c9rbzYzV
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) April 21, 2025
Championship playoffs live streams: How to watch online
Both Sky Sports and ITV have dedicated apps for live-streaming games: SkyGO for Sky Sports and ITVX for ITV.
These apps are available on various devices, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, set-top boxes, and mobile devices.
When will the 2025/26 Premier League fixtures be announced?
The full schedule will be unveiled at 09:00 BST on Wednesday, June 18, 2025.
Premier League fixtures release date 2025/26
Match dates will be accessible on the Premier League website and official competition app.
Fans can download the schedule to their devices using the official Premier League digital calendar.
The moment Leeds and Burnley secured promotion back to the Premier League! ⬆️🍿 pic.twitter.com/57gjs3iUBf
— Sky Sports (@SkySports) April 21, 2025
When does the 2025/26 Premier League season begin and end?
The 2025/26 season kicks off on the weekend of August 16, 2025, with the final matches scheduled for May 24, 2026.
No fixtures will be played within 60 hours of each other, and there will be no matches on December 24.
When will the 2025/26 Championship fixtures be announced?
The complete schedule will be disclosed at 09:00 BST on Thursday, June 26, 2025.
The draws for the EFL Cup round one and the Vertu Trophy group stage will be conducted on the same day and broadcast live on Sky Sports News.
Championship fixtures release date 2025/26
Fixture dates will be provided on the EFL website.
Fans can synchronize the schedule with the EFL Championship calendar for automatic updates.
When does the 2025/26 Championship season begin and end?
The 2025/26 season commences on the weekend of August 9, 2025, with the final round of regular season matches scheduled for May 2, 2026.
The Championship play-off final for the 2025/26 season will be held on May 23, 2026.