Middlesbrough’s early games that could be moved for TV after first game wasn’t picked by Sky Sports

Middlesbrough learned their fixture list for the new Championship campaign this week and will kick-off the season at home to Millwall.

Despite the match pitting two top-six hopefuls against one another, Sky Sports have not selected the game for live TV coverage on a curtain-raising weekend that will feature no fewer than four televised games in the Championship. Instead, the Millwall game will be a traditional 3pm kick-off.

While most supporters will likely welcome that, there are obviously financial benefits to being selected to be shown on TV in the current broadcast deal, which ends at the end of the current season. Clubs get either £100,000 or £10,000 per game, depending on whether they’re the home or away side.

READ MORE: Middlesbrough’s 2023-24 Championship fixtures in full as Carrick side start at home to Millwall

Sky have not selected their picks beyond the first weekend of the new season, but likely won’t wait too long before announcing their next batch of fixtures to be shown on TV. We take a look at Boro’s early fixtures and their potential to be moved for TV.

Coventry City (a) – August 12

There’s an obvious story for this game as the two play-off rivals meet again so early in the new season. And with the three consecutive clashes at the end of last season, the pair will be meeting for what is a fourth time in five consecutive games for Boro – six for the Sky Blues by virtue of their play-off final in Luton as a result of beating Boro at the Riverside.

It’s an easy story to sell for the broadcasters as Boro go in search of some early revenge for last season, while looking to lay an early marker and make a solid statement about their intentions this season. And looking at the fixture list for that weekend, there isn’t too much that catches the eye.

Birmingham host Leeds in a game that could attract Sky because of the size of the club fanbases alone. There’s little backstory there though, in a game Leeds will be expected to win. Perhaps the best tie of the weekend sees Southampton, in what will be Russell Martin’s first game in charge, taking on David Wagner’s Norwich City. But depending on how many games they show that weekend – also the first of the Premier League season, Boro’s trip to Coventry has a chance of being selected.

Huddersfield Town (h) – August 19

For Boro fans this game has an obvious appeal because it will be Neil Warnock’s first return to the Riverside since his departure, now almost two years ago. It’s another easy story for the broadcaster to tell pre-match.

That said, and especially given they meet just ten days prior in the Carabao Cup first round, from a broadcaster’s point of view, the Warnock storyline alone is questionable in terms of bringing in the casual audience that Sky will consider.

All that said, its chances are improved by the fact that weekend has no other significant games in terms of derbies or other obvious stories and connections. Leeds vs West Brom could be an interesting battle and would almost certainly be the pick if Carlos Corberan decided to return to Elland Road as head coach, having been touted as a potential replacement for Sam Allardyce.

West Brom (a) – August 26

One of Boro’s most costly afternoons last season came in February when their excellent momentum was halted at West Brom thanks to Daryl Dike’s 12 minutes of excellence. Despite both sides having top-six hopes, the game was not selected for TV at that point, and it would therefore be unlikely to see this one.

Interestingly, the TV game Sky picked that in day in February was Coventry against Sunderland, two sides also vying for the top-six, and who have developed a bit of a rivalry with one another over the years. That exact same fixture is slated for August 26 too, meaning Sky have precedence over which game they’d be more likely to choose. Ipswich-Leeds is potentially interesting one also.

Beyond that

If Boro still haven’t been on TV by this point then Sky will no doubt have them in mind for some time in September, particularly if they’re able to get off to a good start under Carrick. They host QPR at the start of September, but the game between Leeds and Sheffield Wednesday is a more obvious pick.

The trip to Blackburn Rovers after the international break comes on the same day as the South Wales derby and would only be in consideration if there were more than one EFL game that weekend. The midweek trip to Sheffield Wednesday after that is likely to be available on the red button, but could be the main game, albeit with some other decent clashes that midweek such as Southampton-Ipswich, Hull-Leeds and Norwich-Leicester.

The home game against Southampton would be a good bet for Boro’s first on TV, currently slated for September 29. There isn’t much else that day and, providing both have strong starts, will remain on the favourites for promotion this season. Failing that, both of Boro’s last two trips to Watford have been live Sky games, while the first clash of the season with Sunderland comes on October 7 at the Stadium of Light. That will absolutely be a TV pick.

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