Football on New Year's Day 2026: TV schedule and kick-off times

How was your 2025? Pleased to be leaving it behind, or nervous you'll not be able to repeat it?

The dawn of 2026 offers teams a fresh slate, a chance to start as they mean to go on, an opportunity to build fresh momentum in the second half of the campaign.

A host of Premier League matches will be broadcast live on TV throughout the evening of the 1st January, but the day is dominated by 36 EFL matches live on Sky Sports, featuring every single team from the Championship, League One and League Two.

RadioTimes.com brings you the full round-up of New Year's Day fixtures across the leagues.

Read more football features: Best players in the world | Best players of all time | Live football on TV today

Football on New Year's Day 2026

Thursday 1st January

Premier League

• Crystal Palace v Fulham (5:30pm) Sky Sports Premier League
• Liverpool v Leeds United (5:30pm) Sky Sports Main Event
• Brentford v Tottenham Hotspur (8pm) Sky Sports Premier League
• Sunderland v Manchester City (8pm) Sky Sports Main Event

Championship

• Blackburn Rovers v Wrexham (12:30pm) Sky Sports Football
• Bristol City v Portsmouth (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Charlton Athletic v Coventry City (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Derby County v Middlesbrough (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Hull City v Stoke City (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Ipswich Town v Oxford United (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Preston North End v Sheffield Wednesday (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Queens Park Rangers v Norwich City (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Southampton v Millwall (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Swansea City v West Bromwich Albion (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Watford v Birmingham City (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Sheffield United v Leicester City (5:30pm) Sky Sports Football

League One

• Doncaster Rovers v Bolton Wanderers (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Exeter City v Luton Town (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Leyton Orient v AFC Wimbledon (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Lincoln City v Huddersfield Town (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Mansfield Town v Bradford City (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Northampton Town v Stockport County (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Port Vale v Blackpool (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Reading v Burton Albion (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Rotherham United v Peterborough United (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Stevenage v Plymouth Argyle (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Wigan Athletic v Barnsley (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Wycombe Wanderers v Cardiff City (3pm) Sky Sports Football

League Two

• Barnet v Crawley Town (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Barrow v Salford City (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Bromley v Newport County (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Cambridge United v Walsall (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Colchester United v Milton Keynes Dons (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Crewe Alexandra v Cheltenham Town (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Fleetwood Town v Grimsby Town (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Harrogate Town v Tranmere Rovers (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Notts County v Accrington Stanley (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Oldham Athletic v Chesterfield (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Shrewsbury Town v Bristol Rovers (3pm) Sky Sports+
• Swindon Town v Gillingham (3pm) Sky Sports+

Football in 2026

Saturday 3rd January

Premier League

• Aston Villa v Nottingham Forest (12:30pm) Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League
• AFC Bournemouth v Arsenal (5:30pm) Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League

Scottish Premiership

• Celtic v Rangers (12:30pm) Sky Sports Football / Main Event
• Dundee United v Dundee (3pm) Sky Sports Football / Main Event

Africa Cup of Nations – Round of 16

• TBC (4pm)
• TBC (7pm)

Sunday 4th January

Premier League

• Leeds United v Manchester United (12:30pm) TNT Sports 1
• Everton v Brentford (3pm) Sky Sports Golf
• Fulham v Liverpool (3pm) Sky Sports Main Event
• Newcastle United v Crystal Palace (3pm) Sky Sports Premier League
• Tottenham Hotspur v Sunderland (3pm) Sky Sports Football
• Manchester City v Chelsea (5:30pm) Sky Sports Main Event / Sky Sports Premier League

Championship

• Birmingham City v Coventry City (12pm) Sky Sports Football
• Queens Park Rangers v Sheffield Wednesday (12pm) Sky Sports+
• Sheffield United v Oxford United (12pm) Sky Sports+

League One

• Bolton Wanderers v Northampton Town (12pm) Sky Sports+
• Lincoln City v Peterborough United (12pm) Sky Sports+

League Two

• Cheltenham Town v Crawley Town (12pm) Sky Sports+
• Milton Keynes Dons v Chesterfield (12pm) Sky Sports+

Africa Cup of Nations – Round of 16

• TBC (4pm)
• TBC (7pm)

Monday 5th January

Championship

• Leicester City v West Bromwich Albion (8pm) Sky Sports Football

Africa Cup of Nations – Round of 16

• TBC (4pm)
• TBC (7pm)

Check out more of our Sport coverage or visit our TV Guide and Streaming Guide to find out what's on. For more from the biggest stars in TV, listen to The Radio Times Podcast.