EFL Championship schedule information is now at the center of attention as the 2026/27 season moves into its second round of league matches on August 22 and 23. The fixture list was released on June 25, and the opening weekend began on August 14. Several kickoff times have already been adjusted for television coverage.
The Championship features 24 clubs competing across a 46-match league campaign. The 2026/27 season includes several clubs returning from the Premier League, newly promoted sides from League One, and teams continuing their push toward the English top flight.
For fans in the United States, the timing of matches is especially important. A standard 3 p.m. kickoff in England takes place at 10 a.m. Eastern Time. Selected televised matches can start earlier or later.
When the 2026/27 Championship season started
The Championship season officially got underway during the weekend of August 14-16. Wolverhampton Wanderers hosted Blackburn Rovers in the opening fixture on Friday, August 14.
The rest of the opening round followed across Saturday, Sunday and Monday. Cardiff City and Wrexham then completed the opening round on August 17.
The EFL confirmed the opening weekend dates earlier in 2026 before releasing the complete fixture list in June. The league’s official schedule confirmed that the new Championship campaign would begin during the August 14-16 weekend.
The second round is taking place on August 22 and 23.
That means the competition has already moved beyond its opening weekend, giving supporters an early look at how the new campaign is developing.
August 22 Championship fixtures
Saturday, August 22, features 11 Championship matches.
Several fixtures retain the traditional afternoon start, while three matches have been moved to a 12:30 p.m. UK kickoff for television coverage.
For U.S. viewers, the current schedule includes the following matches:
| Date | Match | UK Time | Eastern Time |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug. 22 | Birmingham City vs. Bristol City | 12:30 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Blackburn Rovers vs. Middlesbrough | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Derby County vs. Cardiff City | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Lincoln City vs. Portsmouth | 12:30 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Millwall vs. Norwich City | 12:30 p.m. | 7:30 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Preston North End vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Queens Park Rangers vs. Bolton Wanderers | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Southampton vs. Stoke City | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Swansea City vs. Sheffield United | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | West Ham United vs. Charlton Athletic | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
| Aug. 22 | Wrexham vs. Watford | 3 p.m. | 10 a.m. |
The EFL’s current fixture listing confirms Birmingham City vs. Bristol City as a 12:30 p.m. kickoff, while the other Saturday fixtures remain listed at their scheduled times unless changed for broadcast purposes.
West Brom vs. Burnley completes the weekend
The final Championship fixture of the round is West Bromwich Albion vs. Burnley on Sunday, August 23.
That match is scheduled for noon in the United Kingdom, which means a 7 a.m. Eastern Time start for viewers in the United States.
The fixture is also among the matches receiving television attention during the weekend. The current broadcast schedule lists West Bromwich Albion against Burnley as one of the weekend’s featured Championship games.
For American supporters, the Sunday morning kickoff provides an early opportunity to follow the Championship before most major U.S. sporting events begin later in the day.
Early results have already changed the picture
The opening round produced several notable results.
Wolverhampton Wanderers and Blackburn Rovers began the campaign with a 2-2 draw. Burnley and West Ham United also finished level, drawing 2-2 in Burnley’s first Championship match after relegation from the Premier League.
Watford defeated Southampton 2-1, while Millwall beat Bristol City 2-0.
West Bromwich Albion opened with a 2-1 victory over Norwich City. Swansea City also began with a 2-1 win over Stoke City.
Bolton Wanderers marked their return to the Championship with a 2-1 victory against Preston North End.
Charlton Athletic came from behind to defeat Derby County 2-1, while Queens Park Rangers won 3-1 away at Portsmouth.
The opening round ended with Cardiff City and Wrexham drawing 1-1 on August 17.
These results mean the second round already carries significance as clubs try to establish early momentum.
The 24 clubs in the 2026/27 Championship
The Championship consists of 24 teams.
Three clubs entered the division after relegation from the Premier League: Burnley, Wolverhampton Wanderers and West Ham United.
Three clubs moved up from League One: Lincoln City, Cardiff City and Bolton Wanderers.
Those changes have created a division with a mixture of recent Premier League sides, established Championship clubs and teams returning from the third tier.
Wrexham is also attracting considerable attention in the United States. The Welsh club continues its Championship campaign after finishing seventh last season and missing the promotion playoffs by two points.
The 24-team structure means every club plays 46 league matches. Each team faces every other club twice, once at home and once away.
How the Championship fixture calendar works
The Championship schedule stretches from August into the spring.
Most fixtures take place on weekends, but the calendar also includes midweek rounds. Television coverage can move games from their original Saturday afternoon slot.
That creates an important distinction between the initial fixture list and the final confirmed kickoff time.
A match may be listed for Saturday at 3 p.m. UK time when the fixture list is first published. Later, a broadcaster can select the game and move it to Friday evening, Saturday lunchtime, Sunday or Monday.
The EFL and broadcasters regularly announce these adjustments.
Sky Sports has already confirmed a substantial number of televised Championship fixtures for the opening months of the season. The broadcaster is scheduled to show more than 1,000 live EFL matches across the Championship, League One, League Two, Carabao Cup and EFL Trophy during the 2026/27 campaign.
September brings more midweek action
The Championship calendar becomes particularly busy in September.
The current fixture list includes matches on September 1 and September 2, creating another midweek opportunity for clubs to collect points.
Birmingham City is scheduled to face Southampton on September 1. Lincoln City is due to meet Blackburn Rovers, while Portsmouth is scheduled to play Derby County.
Preston North End will face Bristol City, and Sheffield United is scheduled to host Bolton Wanderers.
The following day includes Burnley vs. Middlesbrough, Millwall vs. Wrexham, Queens Park Rangers vs. Cardiff City and West Bromwich Albion vs. Charlton Athletic.
The league then returns to a full weekend schedule.
This pattern will continue throughout the season, making squad depth and consistency important as clubs navigate multiple matches within short periods.
Television selections can change kickoff times
One of the most important details for American fans is that the published fixture date does not always determine the final match time.
Sky Sports has already selected numerous games for live coverage. The EFL has confirmed broadcast selections through early October, while additional matches will be selected later in the campaign.
The changes matter because U.S. viewers often plan their weekend around the listed Eastern Time kickoff.
For example, a standard 3 p.m. English kickoff is 10 a.m. ET.
A 12:30 p.m. UK kickoff begins at 7:30 a.m. ET.
A noon kickoff starts at 7 a.m. ET.
On the West Coast, those times are three hours earlier. A 12:30 p.m. UK match therefore begins at 4:30 a.m. Pacific Time.
October continues the regular schedule
The Championship calendar remains busy throughout October.
The fixture list includes weekend games as well as additional midweek matches. Television selections have already identified several fixtures for broadcast during the month.
West Ham United is scheduled to face Queens Park Rangers on October 9.
Charlton Athletic will meet Bristol City on October 10, while Swansea City is scheduled to host Norwich City. West Bromwich Albion also faces Birmingham City that day.
Southampton is scheduled to play Portsmouth on October 11.
Further fixtures include Stoke City vs. Middlesbrough on October 13 and Lincoln City vs. West Ham United on October 14.
Burnley will meet Wolverhampton Wanderers on October 16.
These dates are part of the broader schedule released for the 2026/27 Championship campaign, with television changes continuing to affect selected fixtures.
November and December schedule
The calendar becomes even more demanding as winter approaches.
November includes a number of midweek fixtures, followed by another set of weekend matches.
West Bromwich Albion is scheduled to face Southampton on November 3, while Bristol City meets Wolverhampton Wanderers on November 4.
Derby County will play Bolton Wanderers on November 6.
The November 7 round includes Bristol City vs. Norwich City, Portsmouth vs. Stoke City and Wrexham vs. Wolverhampton Wanderers.
Later in the month, Millwall will host Queens Park Rangers, Norwich City will face Cardiff City, and Southampton will meet Derby County.
December brings the traditional festive congestion.
Sheffield United is scheduled to host West Ham United on December 4. Burnley faces Preston North End on December 6, while West Ham meets Middlesbrough on December 8.
Southampton and Burnley are scheduled to meet on December 9.
West Bromwich Albion will face Sheffield United on December 18, followed by Birmingham City vs. West Ham United on December 19.
Boxing Day and New Year’s Day fixtures
The festive period is one of the busiest parts of the Championship season.
Sheffield United vs. Middlesbrough is currently scheduled for December 26, with a 12:30 p.m. UK kickoff.
For American viewers, that translates to 7:30 a.m. ET.
The schedule continues on December 29.
Wrexham will host Blackburn Rovers, Burnley will meet Lincoln City, Millwall will play Portsmouth and Southampton will face West Ham United.
New Year’s Day also includes Championship action.
Millwall is scheduled to host Wolverhampton Wanderers on January 1, while Burnley will meet Sheffield United.
These festive fixtures can become important checkpoints in the promotion and relegation races because teams have little time between matches.
What U.S. fans should watch on the schedule
American supporters have several ways to follow the Championship calendar.
The first step is checking the current kickoff time rather than relying only on the original fixture date.
The second is converting the UK kickoff to the appropriate U.S. time zone.
For fans in the Eastern Time Zone, the most common conversions are:
- 3 p.m. UK = 10 a.m. ET
- 12:30 p.m. UK = 7:30 a.m. ET
- Noon UK = 7 a.m. ET
- 4 p.m. UK = 11 a.m. ET
- 8 p.m. UK = 3 p.m. ET
Pacific Time viewers should subtract another three hours.
The current U.S. schedule also lists selected Championship matches through Paramount+, giving American fans access to games beyond the traditionally prominent Premier League coverage. CBS Sports’ current schedule lists several August 22 matches with Paramount+ availability.
When more fixtures will be confirmed
The full season fixture list is already available, but many later kickoff times are not yet final.
Television selections continue throughout the season.
Sky Sports has established announcement dates for future broadcast selections, meaning additional changes will appear as the campaign progresses.
This is particularly relevant for supporters planning travel to matches or U.S. viewers arranging their weekend viewing schedule.
The safest approach is to check the latest fixture information before each matchday.
The latest EFL Championship schedule update
The Championship is now in its second round of the 2026/27 season.
Saturday, August 22 features 11 matches, followed by West Bromwich Albion vs. Burnley on Sunday, August 23. Several games have already been moved to earlier Saturday kickoffs for television coverage.
The season’s fixture list was officially released on June 25 after the EFL confirmed the release date earlier in the year.
For U.S. fans, the schedule offers a steady stream of morning and early-afternoon soccer, although television selections can change individual kickoff times.
With 46 league matches for every club, the Championship calendar will remain busy well into 2027.
Which 2026/27 Championship fixture are you most interested in following? Share your pick and keep checking for the latest confirmed kickoff updates.