The English Championship is known for its fierce competition, with 24 teams vying for a spot in the Premier League each season.
The Championship playoffs are arguably the most thrilling part of the season, offering a final promotion opportunity for four deserving teams.
This article provides a comprehensive guide to the 2025 Championship playoffs, covering the format, schedule, and participating teams.
What are the Championship playoffs?
The Championship playoffs are a knockout tournament held after the regular season to determine the third team promoted to the Premier League.
While the top two teams gain automatic promotion after 46 games, the teams finishing third to sixth enter the playoffs for the last promotion place.
How do the Championship playoffs work?
The fight for a playoff spot is always intense in the Championship. The stakes are even higher during the playoffs themselves.
These playoffs involve the four teams just outside the automatic promotion places in a knockout format. Teams finishing third, fourth, fifth, and sixth qualify.
In the semi-finals, the third-placed team plays the sixth, and the fourth-placed team plays the fifth. Each semi-final is played over two legs, home and away. The higher-placed team has the advantage of playing the second leg at home.
The winner is decided by the aggregate score over the two legs, without an away-goals rule. If scores are level after the second leg, extra time and then penalties will be used to decide the winner.
The two semi-final winners advance to the playoff final, a single match at Wembley Stadium. If the final is tied after normal time, extra time and penalties will determine the winner. The final winner earns promotion to the Premier League.
Which teams have qualified for the 2025 Championship playoffs?
Four teams will compete in the Championship playoffs. The likely contenders will become clearer as the season progresses.
Championship 2024-25 Table
|
Position |
Team |
Pld |
W |
D |
L |
GD |
Pts |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
1 |
Sheffield United |
39 |
26 |
7 |
6 |
+27 |
83 |
|
2 |
Leeds United |
39 |
23 |
12 |
4 |
+51 |
81 |
|
3 |
Burnley |
39 |
22 |
15 |
2 |
+42 |
81 |
|
4 |
Sunderland |
39 |
20 |
12 |
7 |
+19 |
72 |
|
5 |
Coventry City |
39 |
17 |
8 |
14 |
+5 |
59 |
|
6 |
West Bromwich Albion |
39 |
13 |
18 |
8 |
+13 |
57 |
|
7 |
Middlesbrough |
39 |
16 |
9 |
14 |
+10 |
57 |
|
8 |
Bristol City |
39 |
14 |
15 |
10 |
+7 |
57 |
Several strong teams are competing for the playoff spots as the season nears its end. Burnley and Sheffield United, relegated from the Premier League, aim for an immediate return.
Leeds United, after losing last season`s playoff final, are pushing for automatic promotion. Middlesbrough and Bristol are also playoff contenders with seven games remaining.
Where to watch the Championship playoffs 2025 on TV & how to stream live online
|
Country |
TV channel |
Live stream |
|---|---|---|
|
United Kingdom |
Sky Sports | Sky GO |
|
United States |
CBS Sports Network |
Paramount+ |
Sky Sports will broadcast all Championship playoff matches in the UK. In the U.S., the games will be available on CBS Sports Network and Paramount+.
When are the 2025 Championship playoffs?
The 2025 EFL Championship playoffs are scheduled for May 2025, with the final on May 24, 2025, at Wembley Stadium. The playoffs involve teams finishing third to sixth in the Championship.
The semi-finals will take place shortly after the regular season ends on May 3, 2025. The first leg of the semi-finals usually occurs about a week after the end of the season.
When and where is the Championship playoff final 2025?
|
Date: |
May 24, 2025 |
|
Kick-off time: |
TBC |
|
Venue: |
Wembley Stadium, London |
The 2025 Championship play-off final will be on May 24 2025 at Wembley Stadium.
Wembley is a famous stadium in British sports and English football, known as 'The Home of Football' and hosts many national finals, including the Football League playoffs.
Championship playoffs 2025 fixtures & results
Semi-finals
|
Date |
Fixture |
TV channel |
|---|---|---|
|
May 8 |
Semi-final 1, leg 1 |
Sky Sports / Paramount+ |
|
May 9 |
Semi-final 2, leg 1 |
Sky Sports / Paramount+ |
|
May 12 |
Semi-final 1, leg 2 |
Sky Sports / Paramount+ |
|
May 13 |
Semi-final 2, leg 2 |
Sky Sports / Paramount+ |
Final
|
Date |
Fixture |
TV channel |
|---|---|---|
|
May 24 |
Semi-final 1 winner vs Semi-final 2 winner |
Sky Sports / Paramount+ |
Who won the Championship playoffs in 2024?
Southampton won the 2024 Championship playoffs, returning to the Premier League with a 1-0 victory over Leeds United in the final at Wembley Stadium on May 26, 2024. Adam Armstrong scored the winning goal, his 24th league goal of the season.
How much is winning the Championship playoffs worth?
The Championship playoff final is called 'The Richest Game in Football' due to the financial rewards for the winner.
The promoted team can gain at least £100 million ($120m) from Premier League TV money, with potential for much more revenue.
This figure could double if the team avoids relegation in their first Premier League season, and additional sponsorship deals will also significantly increase revenue.
Rupert Caldwell 
Tristan Blackwood