Monday 26 June 2017 15:52, UK
Sky Sports will kick off the new Sky Bet EFL season at the Stadium of Light on Friday, August 4, with a tantalising clash between Sunderland and Derby County.
The broadcaster will show three fixtures from the Championship on the opening weekend of the English football season, with Aston Villa versus Hull City and Bolton Wanderers against Leeds United rounding off the live matches.
And on Wednesday, the newly-named Carabao Cup begins on Sky Sports with Colchester entertaining Aston Villa, while on Thursday, Bury take on Sunderland.
Sunderland will be looking for a swift return to the Premier League following relegation last season.
Perennial promotion contenders Derby will have their sights set on reaching the top flight for the first time since 2008. A win here for either side will lay down an early marker in the race for promotion.
Saturday sees Aston Villa's Steve Bruce take on his former employers, as the Claret and Blue take on Hull at an expectant Villa Park. And on Sunday it's Lancashire v Yorkshire as recently promoted Bolton face Leeds.
"The first three live matches of the new season epitomise the Championship - big names, big clubs and impossible to predict," Gary Hughes, head of football at Sky Sports said.
"All six teams will feel they belong back in the Premier League and we can't wait to see how they begin their respective campaigns.
"The first game can shape a season so they'll be desperate to impress in front of the cameras."
Sky Sports will show 127 exclusively live matches from the 2017/18 Sky Bet EFL season - including the play-offs - as well as 15 matches from the Carabao Cup.
It's all part of another stellar season of football on Sky Sports, which features 126 matches from the Premier League season, all in Ultra HD on Sky Q.
Football fans will also be able to enjoy the final group matches and play-offs from the FIFA World Cup European Qualifiers, 30 matches from the SPFL Premiership including every Old Firm derby, the Scottish Cup, Spain's La Liga, MLS, Eredivisie, the Chinese Super League and more.
