If your club is in the Championship, League One, or League Two, there is good news. Every opening-weekend EFL fixture will now be shown live on Sky Sports or Sky Sports+. Every one of those live games will also be available on NOW.
The first league round runs from Friday, August 14, to Monday, August 17, 2026.
You do not need a special extra package if you already have Sky Sports
If you already pay for the full Sky Sports pack, there is no extra fee for opening weekend. The games will be split across the main Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, and Sky Sports+ is included for full subscribers at no extra cost. On Sky Q, Sky Glass, and Sky Stream, Sky Sports+ sits on channel 404.
The mobile route matters more this season than many fans may expect. The Sky Sports app gives you access to all Sky Sports+ live streams, so it is one of the easiest ways to jump straight to your club’s match when several games are on at once.
Sky Sports+ is not a separate paid service. Also, the extra live streams do not all work the same way on every Sky setup. If you still use Sky+, you get the Sky Sports+ channel at no extra cost, but not the extra streams through the box itself.
Those extra streams are instead available through the Sky Sports mobile app. Sky Go carries the live Sky Sports+ channel, but not the full set of extra streams.
NOW is the best option if you do not want a contract
If you do not have Sky, your best bet is NOW. It gives instant access to all Sky Sports channels plus the Sky Sports+ streams. So it covers the opening weekend without tying you into a satellite or long TV contract.
For one weekend only, you could buy the Sports Day Membership, which costs £14.99 and starts immediately after purchase. It lasts for 24 hours, cannot be paused, and does not need cancelling.
If you want more than one day, the numbers change. The sports plan is currently promoted for £27.99 a month on a six-month saver. It moves to £34.99 a month after that minimum term unless cancelled. There is no free trial for the plan.
Sky’s coverage is bigger
The first weekend is not just a one-off stunt. Sky’s rights package includes a minimum of 328 Championship matches and 248 League One matches.
They have 248 League Two matches and all 15 play-off matches. The brand also has all 93 Carabao Cup matches and all 127 EFL Trophy matches.