Sky Bet Championship fixtures 2016/17

Rafa Benitez's Newcastle United will kick off the Sky Bet Championship season at Fulham's Craven Cottage on Friday, August 5, live on Sky Sports.

Norwich and Aston Villa start their bids to return to the Premier League at the first time of asking with away trips. The Canaries go to Blackburn Rovers and Villa have a tricky trip - live on Sky Sports on Sunday, August 7 - to beaten play-off finalists Sheffield Wednesday.

Leeds begin their season away at Queens Park Rangers and are also on Sky Sports on the opening Sunday afternoon.

Newly-promoted Burton Albion's first ever game in the second tier is at Nottingham Forest's City Ground, while Wigan go to Bristol City and Barnsley travel to Ipswich Town.

On the final Saturday game of the season, Newcastle host Barnsley, Villa are at home to Brighton, and Norwich face QPR at Carrow Road.

In Sky Bet League One, Ched Evans, back in football with Chesterfield, will face his old club Sheffield United in November, and then in the last game of the season. Milton Keynes Dons' first meeting of the season with AFC Wimbledon will take place on 10 December.

Sky Bet League Two favourites Portsmouth will begin the 2016/17 season at home to Carlisle, while Doncaster go to Accrington.

Opening weekend fixtures:

Fri 5 Aug

Fulham v Newcastle United

Sat 6 Aug

Birmingham City v Cardiff City                                      

Blackburn Rovers v Norwich City                                 

Bristol City v Wigan Athletic                                          

Derby County v Brighton and Hove Albion                                 

Huddersfield Town v Brentford                                      

Ipswich Town v Barnsley                                              

Nottingham Forest v Burton Albion                              

Reading  v Preston North End                                       

Rotherham United v Wolverhampton Wanderers 

Sunday 7 Aug

Queens Park Rangers v Leeds United

Sheffield Wednesday v Aston Villa               

Final day fixtures:

Aston Villa v Brighton

Brentford v Blackburn Rovers

Bristol City v Birmingham City

Burton Albion v Reading

Huddersfield Town v Cardiff City

Newcastle United v Barnsley

Norwich City v Queens Park Rangers

Nottingham Forest v Ipswich Town

Rotherham United v Derby County

Sheffield Wednesday v Fulham

Wigan Athletic v Leeds United

Wolverhampton v Preston North End  

​Sky Sports has exclusively live coverage of the Sky Bet EFL in 2016/17 including all the drama of the Sky Bet Play-Offs.

Sky Sports has teamed up with the EFL to stream the first round draw of the EFL Cup as a Facebook Live event. Follow it from 1pm on Wednesday.