All five matches of this year's Championship play-offs, including the Million Pound Game to decide promotion to Super League for 2022, will be shown live on Sky Sports starting on September 25
Friday 20 August 2021 14:39, UK
Sky Sports will televise all five matches from this autumn's Betfred Championship play-offs, including the Million Pound Game on Sunday, October 10 which will determine promotion to the 2022 Betfred Super League.
The Championship play-offs have been expanded to six teams in 2021, following the format being successfully reintroduced to Super League last year, and kick off on Saturday, September 25 with a double-header of elimination fixtures between the teams finishing third to sixth in the Championship table.
The winners of those games will then travel to the teams finishing first and second on Saturday, October 2 for the two semi-finals.
Then, on the evening of Sunday October 10 - 24 hours after the Super League Grand Final at Old Trafford - Sky Sports will again capture all the drama and emotion as the remaining two contenders battle it out for the ultimate prize of promotion to join the elite in 2022.
"It's fantastic news for rugby league fans and our Betfred Championship clubs that Sky will be showing all five matches in this year's play-offs," Mark Foster, the RFL's chief commercial officer, said.
"The return of the Betfred Championship and League One has been one of the success stories of 2021 for the sport after the loss of the 2020 season because of Covid-19, with superb entertainment every week.
"The intensity levels are bound to rise as the leading English Championship clubs aim to challenge the current pacesetters Toulouse Olympique for a place in the Betfred Super League in 2022 - and that should mean some great contests on Sky building up to the drama of the Million Pound Game."
Clubs agreed prior to the season commencing to contest the Championship and League One on a points percentage basis due to the threat of postponements and cancellations presented by the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Clubs are required to have played in 70 per cent of their scheduled fixtures to be eligible for the play-offs, although any Toulouse Olympique matches postponed as a result of current quarantine regulations do not count as cancelled for either Toulouse or their opponents.
The French club currently lead the way in the Championship standings, with former Super League sides Bradford Bulls, Halifax Panthers and London Broncos among the teams in the mix too.
September 25 (The Eliminators): Third versus sixth, fourth versus fifth.
October 2 (Semi-finals): First versus lowest-ranked winner, Second versus highest-ranked winner.
October 10: Million Pound Game (6pm kick-off).
