Championship, L1 & L2 26/27 season - key dates and fixtures day
Get the Sports newsletter
Daily sports — scores, transfers, the storylines from the leagues you actually follow. Free.
- Sky Bet EFL kicks off its 2026/27 season on Friday August 14, with the Carabao Cup opening a week earlier on Friday August 7.
- Sky Sports will broadcast over 1,000 of the 1,891 EFL, Carabao Cup, and Vertu Trophy games, ensuring every one of the 72 clubs is shown live at least 20 times.
- EFL will release the full 2026/27 fixture list on Thursday June 25 at 12 pm, while the summer transfer window runs from Monday June 15 to Tuesday September 1 11 pm UK time.
- Winter transfer window opens Friday January 1 2027 and closes Monday February 1 2027 11 pm UK time.
- Vertu Trophy round one starts the week of Monday September 21; the season’s final day remains unconfirmed.
Why it matters: EFL clubs and Sky Sports fans gain a packed broadcast calendar—over 1,000 live games and 20+ appearances per club—while the early Carabao Cup start and defined transfer windows give teams clear timelines for squad building.
