Sky Bet Championship fixtures 2017/18

Sunderland open the Sky Bet EFL Championship season when they host Derby at the Stadium of Light, live on Sky Sports on Friday, August 4.

It is one of three matches live on Sky on the first weekend of the season, with Aston Villa v Hull City (Saturday, August 5) and Bolton v Leeds (Sunday, August 6) also chosen for live coverage.

Reading, who missed out on promotion when they lost to Huddersfield in the play-off final, resume their bid to reach the top flight away to Queens Park Rangers on the opening weekend, while Garry Monk will take his new Middlesbrough side to Wolves.

Promoted Sheffield United begin at home to Brentford but their fans will no doubt be looking forward to the first Sheffield derby too. That comes on September 23 when the Blades visit Hillsborough.

October throws up crunch clashes between Derby and Nottingham Forest, Ipswich and Norwich and Birmingham and Aston Villa, while Boro and Sunderland - both relegated from the Premier League last season - go head-to-head in the Tees-Wear derby at the Riverside on November 4.

Opening weekend fixtures:

Fri 4 Aug

Sunderland v Derby - 7.45pm, live on Sky Sports

Sat 5 Aug

Bristol City v Barnsley - 3pm

Burton Albion v Cardiff City - 3pm

Fulham v Norwich City - 3pm

Ipswich Town v Birmingham City - 3pm

Nottingham Forest v Millwall - 3pm

Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday - 3pm

Queens Park Rangers v Reading - 3pm

Sheffield United v Brentford - 3pm

Wolves v Middlesbrough - 3pm

Aston Villa v Hull City - 5.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Sun 6 Aug

Bolton Wanderers v Leeds United - 4.30pm, live on Sky Sports

Final day fixtures:

Sun 6 May (all 12.30pm kos)

Birmingham City v Fulham

Bolton Wanderers v Nottingham Forest

Brentford v Hull City

Bristol City v Sheffield United

Cardiff City v Reading

Derby County v Barnsley

Ipswich Town v Middlesbrough

Leeds United v Queens Park Rangers

Millwall v Aston Villa

Preston North End v Burton Albion

Sheffield Wednesday v Norwich City

Sunderland v Wolves

Sky Sports has exclusively live coverage of the Sky Bet EFL in 2017/18 including all the drama of the Sky Bet Play-Offs