Championship play-offs 2023: Fixtures, dates & teams in contention

The 2022/23 Championship season is approaching its conclusion and a number of sides are marking down dates for the play-offs at the end of the regular campaign.

Automatic promotion to the Premier League is guaranteed by finishing in the top two, leaving those who finish slightly below to scrap it out in two-legged semi finals and then a final played at Wembley.

Play-offs have delivered extraordinary drama in the past - we all remember that Manuel Almunia penalty save and that Troy Deeney strike - and 2023 will hopefully deliver more of the same. Here's what you need to know about the process.

How does promotion and relegation work in the Championship?

Three teams are promoted from the Championship to the Premier League each season. The title winners and runners-up go up automatically with the final place determined by two-legged semi finals and a final at Wembley. Those three teams are replaced by sides relegated from the Premier League.

The three teams that finish 22nd, 23rd and 24th drop out of the Championship and down to League One, which sends up another three sides as their replacements.

When are the 2023 Championship play-offs?

The final day of the 2022/23 Championship season will take place on 8 May with all matches set to kick off at 15:00. Once the regular season table is finalised, the semi final dates will be announced. The semi finals normally kick off around a week after the final league fixtures, so the first legs should take place on the weekend of May 13/14.

The team that finishes third takes on sixth place, leaving a more balanced tie between fourth and fifth.

When is the 2023 Championship play-off final?

The winners of those two-legged clashes will face off at Wembley for the chance to reach the Premier League. The EFL has confirmed the playoff final will be played on Saturday 27 May, although no kick-off time has been confirmed as of yet.

Which teams have qualified for the 2023 Championship play-offs?

Promoted

• Burnley (C)
• Sheffield United
• Luton

Play-offs

• Middlesbrough
• Coventry
• Sunderland

Given the notoriously competitive nature of the Championship, it's no surprise a number of teams were in contention to finish in the play-off spots until the final day.

Burnley cemented their swift return to the Premier League with seven games of the campaign remaining, sealing a spot in one of the two automatic spots with a 2-1 win away to Middlesbrough on Good Friday.

Sheffield United have sealed the runners-up spot to also secure promotion to England's top flight.

A strong end to the season saw Luton finish five points ahead of Middlesbrough to claim third. That means Town will face sixth place Sunderland, while Boro square off with Coventry.

As of Monday 8 May

How to watch the 2023 Championship play-offs

Sky Sports hold the broadcasting rights for Football League matches in the United Kingdom. They will show playoff games from across the Championship, League One and League Two on their various television and streaming services such as Sky Sports Football/Main Event and Sky GO.

For those in the USA, streaming service ESPN+ will show the games. A subscription costs $9.99 or $99.99 a year, with purchases available on ESPN.com or their app.

Read more on the play-off hunt across the EFL

Who has the best record in Championship play-offs?

Crystal Palace have been promoted to the top flight through the play-offs four times, the most of any team.

They secured victory over two legs in 1989, with Ian Wright striking twice as they overturned a 3-1 defeat at Blackburn to edge a 4-3 aggregate victory at Selhurst Park. David Hopkin's dramatic winner in 1997 again saw them promoted, though they would drop straight back down the following year.

After dramatically beating Sunderland on penalties after the two legs ended with four goals apiece, Palace beat West Ham at the Millennium Stadium to go up. Again, however, they were unable to stay up the following season.

Their fourth and most recent triumph came in 2013 back at Wembley. Wilfried Zaha struck twice against rivals Brighton in the semi finals before Kevin Phillips' extra time penalty sent them back into the Premier League, where they've remained ever since.

How much is winning Championship play-off final worth?

It's tricky to put an exact figure on the money playoff winners receive, but for a match often nicknamed 'The Richest Game in Football', rest assured that it is a lot of money.

Play-off promotion is worth an initial £100m due to the distribution of television money in the Premier League. Should the promoted side avoid relegation the following season, that figure can double.

Back in 2020, football finance experts Deloitte claimed that year's play-offs were worth around £130m in revenue.