The Carabao Cup first round kicks off this weekend with wall-to-wall coverage on Sky Sports and ITV, as Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two clubs begin their competitive campaigns. All 37 matches from Thursday to Sunday will be broadcast live, with the headline fixture being Middlesbrough vs Wrexham on ITV1.
Key Fixtures and Broadcast Details
West Ham, Burnley, and Wolves—all relegated from the Premier League last season—face their first competitive tests. West Ham host Portsmouth at the London Stadium on Saturday at 3pm, live on Sky Sports+. Burnley welcome Notts County, and Wolves travel to Port Vale on Friday evening, both also on Sky Sports+.
The most anticipated match is Friday's Middlesbrough vs Wrexham clash at 8pm, shown live on ITV1 and Sky Sports Main Event, offering the widest audience of the weekend. This Championship versus League One encounter pits a traditional club against the Hollywood-backed side, promising high drama.
Complete Schedule and How to Watch
All other fixtures are available on Sky Sports+, the broadcaster's streaming platform, ensuring fans can follow every game. The schedule includes matches on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, and Sunday, with kick-off times ranging from 1pm to 5:30pm on Saturday.
Saturday features a full slate of 3pm kick-offs, including Leicester City vs Northampton Town, Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers, and Stoke City vs Oldham Athletic. Later matches include Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic and Colchester United vs Southampton at 5:30pm, with the latter on Sky Sports Main Event.
How to Subscribe to Sky Sports
Fans can subscribe to Sky Sports via the Essential TV package from £35 per month with a 24-month contract, offering access to over 215 live Premier League matches and more than 1,000 EFL games, including all Carabao Cup fixtures. The package includes Sky Stream and Netflix, with options to add TNT Sports for £25 per month for European competitions.
Alternatively, the Ultimate TV package at £24 per month includes HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu, with Sky Sports available for an additional £20 monthly. TNT Sports can also be accessed separately via HBO Max or Prime Video for £30.99 per month.
Full Carabao Cup First Round Schedule
Thursday, August 6: Bristol City vs Millwall, 7:30pm, Sky Sports+.
Friday, August 7: Wolves vs Port Vale, 7:45pm, Sky Sports+; Wycombe Wanderers vs Stevenage, 7:45pm, Sky Sports+; Middlesbrough vs Wrexham, 8pm, ITV1/Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Football.
Saturday, August 8: Cambridge United vs Barnet, 1pm; QPR vs Millwall, 2pm; AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County, 3pm; Barnsley vs Wigan Athletic, 3pm; Bradford City vs Rochdale, 3pm; Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough United, 3pm; Bromley vs Reading, 3pm; Burnley vs Notts County, 3pm; Burton Albion vs Blackburn Rovers, 3pm; Cardiff City vs Swindon Town, 3pm; Crewe Alexandra vs Accrington Stanley, 3pm; Derby County vs Lincoln City, 3pm; Fleetwood Town vs Chesterfield, 3pm; Gillingham vs Luton Town, 3pm; Grimsby Town vs Blackpool, 3pm; Leicester City vs Northampton Town, 3pm; Leyton Orient vs Oxford United, 3pm; Norwich City vs MK Dons, 3pm; Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town, 3pm; Salford City vs Shrewsbury Town, 3pm; Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers, 3pm; Stockport County vs Doncaster Rovers, 3pm; Stoke City vs Oldham Athletic, 3pm; Swansea City vs Birmingham City, 3pm; Watford vs Crawley Town, 3pm; West Ham vs Portsmouth, 3pm; Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic, 5:30pm; Colchester United vs Southampton, 5:30pm (Sky Sports Main Event); Rotherham United vs West Brom, 5:30pm. All on Sky Sports+ unless noted.
Sunday, August 9: Mansfield Town vs Sheffield United, 4pm, Sky Sports Main Event/Sky Sports Football.
With every match broadcast live, supporters can enjoy a weekend of cup action from the comfort of their homes, with the added convenience of streaming via Sky Sports+.
