Championship Play-Offs 2024/25: Dates, teams, venues, history & more

The 2023/24 Championship play-off final saw Southampton achieve promotion back to the Premier League at the first time of asking following a 1-0 win over Leeds United at Wembley.

Adam Armstrong was the matchwinner for the Saints on the day with his first-half strike enough to see Russell Martin's side overcome Leeds at the national stadium.

Here is everything you need to know about the Championship Play-Offs and the race for promotion to the Premier League.

Championship Play-Offs 2024/25 dates

The 2024/25 Championship play-offs will take place shortly following the culmination of the regular league season on Saturday 3rd May 2025.

The play-off final is scheduled to be held over the 2025 May Bank Holiday weekend - 24th May - 26th May.

Championship Play-Offs 2024/25 how to watch

Both semi-final second legs will be available to watch live in the UK on Sky Sports Main Event and Sky Sports Football.

Championship Play-Offs 2024/25 format

The Championship Play-Offs are played using a simple knockout format. The teams are seeded based on finishing positions in the league, with third playing sixth and fourth playing fifth in the semi-finals.

The two higher-placed teams in the semi-final pairings - in this case Leeds and Southampton, will play at home in the second legs.

A simple aggregate score of the two matches decides which teams progress.

The away-goals rule does not apply and if the scores are level after the second leg, extra-time and penalties will be played until a winner is found.

The Championship Play-Off final will also be decided on the day, with extra-time and penalties if required.

Championship Play-Offs history

There were some wildly entertaining matches in Championship Play-Off finals soon after the showpiece match moved to Wembley Stadium in the 1990s. 

Some notable games were Swindon's 4-3 win over Leicester in 1993, Bolton beating Reading by the same score after extra-time two years later and an epic clash between Charlton and Sunderland in 1998, which the Addicks won on penalties after extra-time ended with the score at 4-4.

The finals between 2001 and 2006 were played at the Millennium Stadium in Cardiff while Wembley was rebuilt.

Last season's Championship Play-Off final went to penalties as Luton beat Coventry 6-5 after a 1-1 draw and finals over the last decade have been far more cagey and lower-scoring.

None of the last 13 finals has produced more than three goals and both teams have scored in only three of the last 12.

While last year's Play-Off winners, Luton, have been relegated back to the Championship, the previous four Wembley winners - Aston Villa, Fulham, Brentford and Nottingham Forest - remain in the top flight.