The Carabao Cup first round kicks off this weekend with comprehensive live coverage across Sky Sports and ITV. The opening round runs from Thursday to Sunday and includes clubs from the Premier League, Championship, League One, and League Two, marking the first competitive club football of the new season.
Key Matches and Storylines
Among the most anticipated ties are those involving former Premier League sides West Ham, Burnley, and Wolves, all relegated last season. West Ham host Portsmouth at the London Stadium on Saturday afternoon in a charged atmosphere as they begin life outside the top flight.
The standout fixture is Friday night's clash between Middlesbrough and Wrexham, which pits a Championship side against the Hollywood-backed club. This match will be broadcast live on ITV1 and Sky Sports, giving it the widest reach of any game this weekend.
Broadcast Details and Packages
All other matches will be shown live on Sky Sports+, ensuring fans can follow every result. Sky's Ultimate TV and Sky Sports bundle, priced at £35 per month, includes at least 215 live Premier League games and over 1,400 live matches across the EFL and beyond, plus F1, golf, and darts. Subscriptions come with 135 channels and free access to HBO Max, Netflix, Disney+, discovery+, and Hayu.
Fans can also add TNT Sports for an extra £25 per month, which covers Champions League, Europa League, and Europa Conference League action. TNT Sports will also show select Premier League games on TV and HBO Max, with Hull vs Manchester United the first fixture. A separate TNT Sports subscription costs £30.99 via HBO Max or Prime Video.
Full First Round Schedule
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
