The Carabao Cup first round takes place across four days this week, with a number of Premier League clubs in action on Sky Sports and ITV
Sky Sports and ITV are poised to deliver comprehensive coverage to football supporters this weekend as the Carabao Cup first round commands attention – and there’s certainly no lack of intriguing narratives.
Running from Thursday right through to Sunday, the opening round includes sides from the Premier League, Championship, League One and League Two, with the fixtures representing the first competitive club football of the new campaign.
In terms of other local sides, Stockport County host Doncaster Rovers on Saturday while Salford entertain Shrewsbury at the same time. Rochdale make the trip to Bradford City, Bolton travel to Sheffield Wednesday and Wigan head to Barnsley. While Oldham have one of the ties of the round as they head to Stoke City on Saturday.
The match expected to draw the widest viewership, though, is Friday evening’s encounter between Middlesbrough and Wrexham. The fixture – featuring a Championship club against the Hollywood-backed side – will be shown live on ITV1 alongside Sky Sports, providing it with the broadest audience of any game this weekend.
Apart from that headline tie, all other fixtures will be screened live on Sky Sports+, guaranteeing fans can track every single outcome as it unfolds throughout what looks set to be an action-packed and thrilling weekend of football.
Discounted 26/27 Sky Sports Premier League Bundle
Sky’s Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle includes at least 215 live Premier League clashes across the 2026/27 season with more than 1,400 live games across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf and darts.
Every subscription now comes with 135 channels alongside free subscriptions to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+ and Hayu.
How to watch the new season on Sky Sports
Football enthusiasts can catch all the opening fixtures and more throughout the new season with Sky TV’s Essential TV package, which includes Sky Sports from £35 per month with no upfront fees. The package provides access to Sky Stream, Netflix and Sky Sports, though it should be noted that a minimum 24-month contract applies and prices may be subject to change during this period.
With this package, supporters can enjoy at least 215 live Premier League matches and over 1,000 EFL games – including all the Carabao Cup fixtures – as well as a dedicated F1 channel and coverage of all the major golf tournaments.
Fans may also wish to add TNT Sports to their package for an additional £25 per month – fixed for 24 months – granting instant access to Champions League, Europa League and Europa Conference League action. European football kicks off almost immediately, with Aston Villa’s UEFA Super Cup clash against PSG on Wednesday, August 12.
TNT Sports will also broadcast selected Premier League matches on TV and its new streaming platform HBO Max, with the broadcaster typically holding rights to one game per gameweek. Hull vs Manchester United is the first fixture to be screened next season.
A separate TNT Sports subscription is required to watch its coverage, which is priced at £30.99 via HBO Max or Prime Video’s TNT Sports channel. Additional packages are also on offer, including the Ultimate TV bundle from only £24 per month, featuring HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, Hayu and 135 live channels.
Sky Sports can be included for a further £20 monthly, with identical 24-month contract terms applicable.
Below is the complete fixture list showing how to watch every Carabao Cup first round tie:.
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 – Sky Sports+.
QPR vs Millwall – 2pm – Sky Sports+.
AFC Wimbledon vs Newport County – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Barnsley vs Wigan Athletic – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Bradford City vs Rochdale – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Bristol Rovers vs Peterborough United – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Bromley vs Reading – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Burnley vs Notts County – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Burton Albion vs Blackburn Rovers – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Cardiff City vs Swindon Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Crewe Alexandra vs Accrington Stanley – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Derby County vs Lincoln City – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Fleetwood Town vs Chesterfield – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Gillingham vs Luton Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Grimsby Town vs Blackpool – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Leicester City vs Northampton Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Leyton Orient vs Oxford United – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Norwich City vs MK Dons – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Preston North End vs Huddersfield Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Salford City vs Shrewsbury Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Sheffield Wednesday vs Bolton Wanderers – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Stockport County vs Doncaster Rovers – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Stoke City vs Oldham Athletic – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Swansea City vs Birmingham City – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Watford vs Crawley Town – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
West Ham vs Portsmouth – 3pm – Sky Sports+.
Cheltenham Town vs Charlton Athletic – 5:30pm – Sky Sports+.
Colchester United vs Southampton – 5:30pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football.
Rotherham United vs West Brom – 5:30pm – Sky Sports+.
Sunday, August 9.
Mansfield Town vs Sheffield United – 4pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football.
Monday, August 10.
Plymouth Argyle v Exeter City – 8pm – Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Football
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