ESPN+ to air 8 EFL promotion race games on Easter weekend
On Easter weekend, ESPN+ will have an incredible eight promotion race games from the EFL Championship.
Promotion is at the top of these clubs’ minds across the English Championship. The four promotion race games on Good Friday combined with another four on Easter Monday feature many of the clubs at the top battling for the two automatic promotion spots. Then, other clubs are working to get into the promotion playoffs.
Entering the weekend’s slate of games, one point separates the top three teams in the Championship. Leeds United holds the lead in the league despite being level on points with Leicester City. The Elland Road side has a superior goal differential than the Foxes by one goal. However, Leicester has a game in hand on both of its rivals at the top of the table. Ipswich trails both clubs by one point, and that one point is crucial. The top two finishers in the Championship earn an automatic promotion spot to the Premier League, while the third-place team enters the volatile promotion playoffs.
On Friday, each of those three teams is on the road against teams in the bottom half of the Championship table. While each will be favored to win those games, there are never guarantees in the Championship.
ESPN+ Easter Weekend starts with a bang
In the United States, each game is exclusively available on ESPN+. Here are the games on Good Friday (March 29, 2024):
- 8:30 a.m. ET – Bristol City vs. Leicester City
- 11 a.m. ET – Norwich City vs. Plymouth Argyle
- 1:30 p.m. ET – Blackburn Rovers vs. Ipswich Town
- 4 p.m. ET – Watford vs. Leeds United
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As seen, there is also a game featuring Norwich City. Currently, Norwich is sixth in the Championship table, and the Canaries are not in the running to finish in the positions for automatic promotion. However, Norwich is just three points above Hull City as it clings to the last playoff position. Also, Hull has a game in hand on Norwich, meaning the three-point edge could evaporate. Watching this Norwich game on ESPN+ should show some of the desperation from David Wagner’s side.
Both Norwich and Hull have daunting tasks on the Monday following Easter, though.
Promotion implications throughout the Championship
Norwich travels to Leicester City on that Monday while Leeds United hosts Hull City at the end of the day. Of the three automatic contenders, though, Ipswich Town has the most challenging fixture. Also playing at home, Ipswich faces Southampton, which is sitting in fourth in the Championship. There is an outside chance the Saints make a run at entering the race for the automatic promotion spots. However, Southampton is likely comfortable holding onto fourth and ensuring a home game for the second leg of the promotion playoffs. Still, it can drag Ipswich into the playoffs with a result at Portman Road Stadium.
Monday, April 1, 2024 games on ESPN+:
- 7:30 a.m. ET – Leicester City vs. Norwich City
- 10 a.m. ET – Coventry City vs. Cardiff City
- 12:30 p.m. ET – Ipswich Town vs. Southampton
- 3 p.m. ET – Leeds United vs. Hull City
The Coventry City game against Cardiff is a fixture between two teams trying to re-enter the conversation for the promotion playoffs. Coventry, the loser of last year’s playoff final, is four points behind Norwich. Like Hull, Coventry has a game in hand on Norwich. Cardiff City is a further four points behind Coventry having played one game more.
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