Everything you need to know about the race for promotion to the Premier League.The English Championship is one of the most competitive leagues in football, with 24 teams battling it out to reach the Premier League every season.Arguably the most exciting aspect of the Championship season is the playoff stage, where four teams can secure the one remaining promotion spot.Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about the 2025 Championship playoffs, including where to watch, how it works and more.{“type”:”mobile-advert”,”data”:{}}What are the Championship playoffs?In English football, the Championship playoffs are a mini-knockout tournament that takes place after the end of the regular season to determine which team takes the third and final promotion place to the Premier League.While the top two teams after 46 games automatically earn promotion to the top table of English football, the teams that finish third, fourth, fifth, and sixth all have a chance of joining.How do the Championship playoffs work?The battle to secure a place in the Championship play-offs is always intense in one of football’s most unpredictable leagues. However, the stakes skyrocket when the play-offs themselves get underway at the season’s conclusion.These play-offs pit the four teams finishing just below the automatic promotion spots against one another in a high-stakes knockout format. Teams ending the campaign in third through sixth positions qualify to compete for the coveted final promotion spot.In the semi-finals, the third-placed team faces the sixth, while the fourth-placed side squares off against the fifth. Each tie consists of two legs, with both teams hosting one game apiece. The team with the higher league finish earns the advantage of playing the decisive second leg on home turf.Winners are determined by the total score across both legs, with no away goals rule in effect. Should the aggregate score remain level after the second leg, the tie proceeds to extra time, and if necessary, penalties will decide the outcome.The victors of the two semi-finals advance to the play-off final, a one-off clash held at Wembley Stadium. If regulation time ends without a winner, extra time and penalties are used to settle the match. The team that triumphs in the final secures a spot in the Premier League for the following season.Which teams have qualified for the 2025 Championship playoffs?A total of four teams will qualify for the Championship playoffs and we will get a better idea of which clubs are firmly in the mix as the season approaches the last third.Championship 2024-25 tablePositionTeamGPWDLGDPoints1Leeds United281783+34592Sheffield United291865+19583Burnley2815112+27564Sunderland2915104+18555West Brom2910145+13446Middlesbrough291289+11447Blackburn Rovers2912611+4428Bristol City2910118+341Last updated: January 26, 2025, 11:30am GMT.Predicting the quartet that will contest the 2024-25 Championship play-offs is way too early at this stage, but it’s certain that several strong teams will be vying for those coveted spots as the season nears its climax. Burnley and Sheffield United are among the sides relegated from the Premier League harbouring ambitions of bouncing back to the top flight at the first attempt.Leeds United, who suffered heartbreak in last season’s play-off final, will be determined to mount a strong push for automatic promotion this time around. Meanwhile, 2023-24 play-off participants West Bromwich Albion will aim to make another strong challenge.Middlesbrough is a team worth keeping an eye on, having shown great promise during the previous campaign. Additionally, Blackburn Rovers and Watford may well find themselves in the thick of the play-off race as May approaches.Where to watch the Championship playoffs 2025 on TV & how to stream live onlineCountryTV channelLive streamUnited KingdomSky SportsSky GOUnited StatesCBS Sports NetworkParamount+Sky Sports will broadcast all Championship playoff games on its network, with Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football being the main TV channels. For those who wish to stream the games live online, you can do so with Sky GO.Watch the Championship live on Sky Sports in the UKGet the best deals todayIn the U.S., the 2024-25 EFL Championship playoff games will be broadcast on the CBS Sports Network and CBS Sports Golazo Network, with the majority of games available on Paramount+, which is currently offering a 7-day free-trial for new users.Watch the EFL Championship on Paramount+ in the USSubscribe nowWhen are the 2025 Championship playoffs?The 2025 EFL Championship playoffs are set to take place in May 2025, with the final scheduled for the Bank Holiday weekend from May 24 to May 26, 2025, under the iconic Wembley arc. The playoffs will feature the teams that finish between third and sixth in the Championship standings, competing for a coveted spot in the Premier League.The semi-finals will occur shortly after the conclusion of the regular season, which ends on May 3, 2025. There will be a short break between the last round of the Championship season and the start of the semi-finals, with no dates yet confirmed. However, the first leg of the semi-final usually takes place approximately a week after the end of the 46-game campaign.When and where is the Championship playoff final 2025?Date:May 24-26, 2025Kick-off time:TBCVenue:Wembley Stadium, LondonThere is no definitive date or kick-off time for the 2025 Championship play-off final yet, but the match will be played between 24-26 May 2025, and it will be played at Wembley Stadium.Wembley, of course, is an iconic stadium in British sports and for English football in particular. The 90,000-capacity stadium is affectionately known as ‘The Home of Football’ or ‘HQ’ and hosts most national finals, including those of the Football League playoffs.Championship playoffs 2025 fixtures & resultsSemi-finalsDateFixtureTV channelTBCSemi-final 1, leg 1Sky Sports / Paramount+TBCSemifinal 2, leg 1Sky Sports / Paramount+TBCSemifinal 1, leg 2Sky Sports / Paramount+TBCSemifinal 2, leg 2Sky Sports / Paramount+FinalDateFixtureTV channelMay 26Semi-final winner 1 vs Semi-final winner 2Sky Sports / Paramount+Who won the Championship playoffs in 2024?Southampton emerged victorious in the 2024 Championship playoffs, securing their promotion back to the Premier League with a narrow 1-0 win over Leeds United in the playoff final held at Wembley Stadium on May 26, 2024. Southampton’s Adam Armstrong scored the decisive goal in the first half, marking his 24th league goal of the season and sealing a triumphant return to the top tier of English football.How much is winning the Championship playoffs worth?The Championship playoff final has been dubbed ‘The Richest Game in Football’ due to the financial rewards that accompany victory in the game.Initially, the promoted team can be said to benefit to the tune of £100 million ($120m) thanks to the distribution of TV money among Premier League clubs, but there are many more attendant revenue boosters.For example, that money could be doubled if a team avoids relegation in their first season, while all sorts of sponsorship deals come rolling into a team that plays in the Premier League.
