How to watch the EFL Championship: Luton Town seal promotion via the play-offs
Our guide to watching the 2022/23 EFL Championship season live
Luton Town secured Premier League football for the first time in their history by beating Coventry City in the EFL Championship play-off final on Saturday, 27 May.
The Hatters, who were playing Non-League football just nine seasons ago, needed penalties to get past the Sky Blues at Wembley. Jordan Clark had put the Bedfordshire outfit ahead with his fourth goal of the campaign on 23 minutes but Coventry hit back through Gustavo Hamer shortly after the hour mark.
Neither side was able to score again in normal or extra time, meaning promotion to the Premier League was decided from the spot. The first eleven penalties were all scored before Fankaty Dabo blazed over to hand Luton a 6-5 win.
Rob Edwards' men will join Championship title winners Burnley and runners-up Sheffield United in the top flight next term, with that trio being replaced in the Championship by Southampton, Leeds United and Leicester City, who were relegated from the Premier League.
Dropping out of the Championship are Reading, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic, with Plymouth Argyle, Ipswich Town and Sheffield Wednesday completing the 2023/24 lineup following promotion from League One.
- Champions: Burnley
- Runners-up: Sheffield United
- Promoted via the play-offs: Luton Town
- Relegated to League One: Reading, Blackpool and Wigan Athletic
Sky Sports has exclusive rights to live Championship football in the UK and will continue to show a large selection of games over the course of the 2023/24 campaign. The easiest way to access its channels is via a Now Sky Sports membership, which costs £35/mth or £12 for a day pass, which also includes access to the mobile app for a month. Other subscription information, including how to watch the EFL Championship if you live abroad, can be found below the list of upcoming live EFL Championship fixtures.
EFL Championship final 2022/23 table
How to watch the EFL Championship in the UK: Sky Sports
Sky Sports is the broadcast partner of the Sky Bet Championship and you can add the eight-channel Sky Sports package, which includes Sky Sports Premier League and Sky Sports Football, to your existing Sky TV subscription for £20/mth.
If you don't already have Sky, you can purchase an 18-month Sky Steam subscription to Sky Entertainment and Netflix for £26/mth (free for the first month) and add Sky Sports as a separate TV pack for a further £20/mth. Sky Stream lets you access Sky channels over a Wi-Fi connection without the need for a satellite dish.
Alternatively, you can purchase a Sky Q plan, which includes a set-top box, for £28/mth for 18 months plus a £20 set-up fee, and add the Sky Sports package to that instead.
How to watch the EFL Championship in the UK: Now Sports Membership
As we mentioned above, in order to get Sky Sports, you’ll need to be an existing Sky TV customer, then add the Sky Sports Premier League or Sky Sports package to your existing account. All accounts tie you down to long-term contracts and are subject to one-time setup and installation fees.
If you prefer cheering for your favourite football team in the Sky Bet EFL Championship without any of these contracts and fees, then you're better off subscribing to subscribe to Now (formerly Now TV). This is a subscription-based, on-demand service giving you access to all Sky Sports content without any of the subsidiary fees or long-term commitments.
To live-stream the Sky Bet EFL Championship on any of your devices, you’ll need the Now Sports Membership. You have two options to subscribe to this pass:
- Now Sports Day Membership for £11.98
- Now Sports Month Membership for £35/mth
How to watch the EFL Championship in the US: ESPN+
If you live across the pond from the UK - in the United States - then your best option to live stream the EFL Championship games online is to use ESPN+.
The channel also live-streams other football tournaments including the Italian Serie A, Carabao Cup, World Rugby Sevens, Champions Rugby, and US sporting events like UFC, MLS, MLB and NBA.
ESPN+ costs $5.99 a month and you can cancel your subscription at any time.
How to watch the EFL Championship in Australia, the Middle East and North Africa: beIn Sports
EFL Championship enthusiasts in Australia, Turkey and the Middle East and North Africa can view live streams of the majority of games on another popular sports subscription service beIn Sports.
The service also broadcasts all the Premier League games if you’re based in the Middle East and North Africa.
beIn Sports costs $10/mth (depending on where you live) but includes a two-week free trial, which is more than enough time to decide whether or not you love the service.
How to live stream the EFL Championship: Betfair and Bet365
The Betfair and Bet365 apps also broadcast some EFL Championship games via their website and apps.
However, their coverage will vary based on which country you live in.
How to watch live stream EFL Championship from anywhere: use a VPN
We always recommend using a VPN to keep all your browsing data away from prying eyes.
READ NEXT: Best VPN services
ExpressVPN: We've reviewed numerous VPNs and ExpressVPN is the one we rate highest for streaming. Not only has its entire service been independently audited to confirm that it doesn’t log or store any user data, but you can also now use it on five devices simultaneously, making it a great option for a family or a group of friends. It also has the fastest speeds, especially when connecting to far-off locations like the UK, US and Australia, and it comes with a fully refundable 30-day money-back guarantee if the service doesn't meet your expectations.
NordVPN: Another one of our top-rated VPNs this year, NordVPN shares many of the same streaming and security features as ExpressVPN. Its PC program has a nice map-based interface to let you choose the server you want. Both services have been independently audited to prove that your streaming data will never be recorded. Like ExpressVPN, it comes with 24/7 customer support and a 30-day money-back guarantee.
