Coventry City vs Sunderland: How to watch EFL Championship playoffs, TV and streaming details, kick off, odds

Sunderland will head to Coventry City this Friday night as the highly-anticipated EFL Championship playoff semi-finals get underway at the CBS Arena.

Two teams who will feel they have been out of the English Premier League for far too long will meet in the Midlands in a mammoth clash, with Frank Lampard looking to navigate his Sky Blues side back to the big time in his debut season at the club.

However, fourth-placed Sunderland and head coach Regis Le Bris have enjoyed an extremely strong campaign of their own and will be looking for a crucial first leg advantage ahead of Tuesday’s second leg at the Stadium of Light.

The Black Cats are expected to be without injured duo Romaine Mundle (hamstring) and Aji Alese (knee) for the game, though Dan Ballard, Dennis Cirkin and Enzo Le Fee have all made successful returns in recent weeks and are in line to start for the Wearsiders in Friday’s playoff semi-final.

Want to make sure you don’t miss a minute of the game? Here’s everything you need to know ahead of Coventry City vs Sunderland, including how to watch the game live:

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Sunderland player Eliezer Mayenda is congratulated by head coach Regis Le Bris after being substituted during the Sky Bet Championship match between Sunderland AFC and Sheffield Wednesday. | Getty Images

Coventry City vs Sunderland match details

The first-leg of the EFL Championship playoff semi-final will take place at the CBS Arena, Coventry on Friday 9 May 2025. Kick off is scheduled for 8pm.

How can I watch Coventry City vs Sunderland?

The titanic clash will be broadcast live on subscription channel ​Sky Sports Main Event, Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Ultra HDR. Coverage begins at 7pm.

Who is the referee for Coventry City vs Sunderland?

The man in the middle for Friday night’s game with be John Busby. The assistant referees will be Mark Russell and Sam Lewis. James Linington is the fourth official.

Where can I stream Coventry City vs Sunderland?

For those preferring to stream the game on your smart TV, laptop, tablet or mobile phone, Sky Sports will stream the game via the SkyGo app.

If you live outside of the UK and Ireland, the following countries will be streaming the game live:

• Australia: beIN Sports Connect, beIN SPORTS 3
• Bangladesh: FanCode
• Bulgaria: Play Diema Xtra, Diema Sport 2
• Denmark: Viaplay Denmark, TV3 Sport
• Estonia: Go3 Extra Sports Estonia, Setanta Sports 2
• Finland: Elisa Viihde Viaplay, V Sport Premium
• France: beIN SPORTS CONNECT, Free, myCANAL, beIN Sports MAX 6
• Greece: Cosmote Sport 8 HD
• Iceland: Vodafone Sport
• India: FanCode
• Latvia: Go3 Extra Sports Latvia, Setanta Sports 2
• Lithuania: Go3 Extra Sports Lithuania, Setanta Sports 2
• Mexico: Disney+ Premium Mexico, ESPN3 Mexico
• Norway: Viaplay Norway, V Sport 2 Norway
• Pakistan: FanCode
• Poland: Viaplay Poland
• Qatar: beIN SPORTS CONNECT, TOD, beIN Sports HD 2, beIN Sports English
• Slovakia: VoyoNova Sport 6
• South Africa: StarTimes App, SuperSport Variety 3, DStv App, Sporty TV, SuperSport MaXimo 1, SuperSport GOtv Football
• Sweden: Viaplay Sweden, V Sport Premium
• United Arab Emirates: beIN SPORTS CONNECT, TOD, beIN Sports HD 2, beIN Sports English
• USA: Paramount+fuboTVCBS Sports Network

What are the latest odds for the EFL Championship playoff semi-final between Coventry City vs Sunderland?

The Sky Blues are slight favourites to win the semi-final first-leg, with odds of 6/5 to win the first leg. Sunderland are priced at 12/5, with a draw in 90 minutes priced at 21/10.*

*All bets are priced by SkyBet and could change at any time. Please gamble responsibly.