How to watch today's Blackburn Rovers vs Sunderland Championship game: Live stream, TV channel, and start time

Blackburn Rovers, currently sitting fifth in the Championship, will host Sunderland, who are one spot higher and hold a six-point advantage, in a crucial Boxing Day clash.

Blackburn's impressive streak of seven consecutive victories came to an abrupt halt as they hit a roadblock at The Den, suffering a 1-0 loss to Millwall in their most recent outing.

Manager John Eustace has done an exceptional job with the Rovers this season, earning plaudits for a side that has managed to secure five clean sheets in their past six Championship fixtures.

As they aim to rebound from their setback against the Lions, Blackburn now prepares to host Sunderland, a team sitting just one spot above them in fourth place on the Championship ladder.

The Black Cats have adapted admirably since the departure of star man Jack Clarke to Ipswich Town, maintaining strong form ahead of this Boxing Day clash in Lancashire.

Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.

How to watch Blackburn vs Sunderland online - TV channels & live streams

Sky Sports+

Watch here

In the United Kingdom (UK), the Championship match between Blackburn and Sunderland will be broadcast live on TV on Sky Sports+ and will be available to stream online live on Sky Go.

Check out GOAL's Live Match Centre for updates.

How to watch anywhere with VPN

If you are abroad, you may need to use a virtual private network (VPN) in order to watch games using your usual streaming service. A VPN, such as NordVPN, allows you to establish a secure connection online when streaming. If you are not sure which VPN to use, check out GOAL's guide to the best VPNs for streaming sport.

Stream live anywhere in the world with Nord VPN

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Blackburn vs Sunderland kick-off time

Championship - Championship

26 Dec 2024 - 15:00

Ewood Park

The Championship match between Blackburn and Sunderland will be played at Ewood Park in Blackburn, England.

It will kick off at 3:00 pm GMT on Thursday, December 26, 2024 in the UK.

Team news & squads

Blackburn vs Sunderland lineups

BLB

4-2-3-1

Formation

4-2-3-1

SUN

1

A. Pears

5

D. Hyam

15

D. Batth

24

O. Beck

2

C. Brittain

6

S. Tronstad

19

R. Hedges

42

L. Baker

10

T. Dolan

8

T. Cantwell

23

Y. Ohashi

1

A. Patterson

3

D. Cirkin

13

L. O'Nien

32

T. Hume

26

C. Mepham

7

J. Bellingham

12

E. Mayenda

4

D. Neil

10

P. Roberts

11

C. Rigg

18

W. Isidor

4-2-3-1

Sunderland

BLB

-Line up

• 1

  A. Pears

• 5

  D. Hyam

  58’

• 15

  D. Batth

• 24

  O. Beck

• 2

  C. Brittain

• 6

  S. Tronstad

  87’

• 19

  R. Hedges

  61’

• 42

  L. Baker

  78’

• 10

  T. Dolan

  13’

  78’

• 8

  T. Cantwell

• 23

  Y. Ohashi

  13’

  29’

  60’

Substitutes

• 14

  A. Weimann

  78’

• 21

  J. Buckley

  78’

• 4

  K. McFadzean

• 11

  J. Rankin-Costello

• 9

  M. Gueye

  60’

  90’

• 33

  A. Cozier-Duberry

  61’

• 20

  H. Leonard

  87’

  90’

• 12

  B. Toth

• 40

  M. Litherland

Manager

• J. Eustace

SUN

-Line up

• 1

  A. Patterson

• 3

  D. Cirkin

• 13

  L. O'Nien

  83’

• 32

  T. Hume

  33’

• 26

  C. Mepham

• 7

  J. Bellingham

• 12

  E. Mayenda

• 4

  D. Neil

• 10

  P. Roberts

  55’

  90’ + 4’

• 11

  C. Rigg

  51’

  86’

• 18

  W. Isidor

  55’

Substitutes

• 30

  M. Aleksic

• 42

  A. Alese

• 24

  A. Connolly

• 36

  I. Poveda

• 15

  N. Rusyn

• 50

  H. Jones

• 33

  L. Hjelde

• 21

  S. Moore

• 22

  A. Aouchiche

  86’

Manager

• R. Le Bris

Blackburn team news

Blackburn will be without key midfielder Lewis Travis, sidelined for six weeks with a hamstring injury sustained in the Millwall match. In his absence, Sondre Tronstad and John Buckley are likely to form a midfield partnership.

Defensive absences remain a concern for the hosts, with Hayden Carter, Harry Pickering, Scott Wharton, and goalkeeper Balazs Toth all unavailable. This means Aynsley Pears is expected to feature in goal, backed by a defensive line of Joe Rankin-Costello, Danny Batth, Dominic Hyam, and Owen Beck.

In attack, Yuki Ohashi and Makhtar Gueye are tipped to lead the line, with Arnor Sigurdsson and Zak Gilsenan also ruled out of contention.

Sunderland team news

On the Sunderland side, midfielders Alan Browne and Salis Abdul Samed are sidelined, though Dan Neil and Jobe Bellingham are likely to retain their starting spots regardless.

In defence, Daniel Ballard remains out until early January, while right-backs Jenson Seelt and Niall Huggins are also unavailable. Manager Le Bris may opt for a back four of Luke O'Nien, Chris Mepham, Leo Fuhr Hjelde, and Dennis Cirkin.

Further up the pitch, Patrick Roberts, Chris Rigg, and Eliezer Mayenda are almost certain to provide attacking support for striker Wilson Isidor, with forwards Ahmed Abdullahi, Romaine Mundle, and Tom Watson ruled out due to injuries.

Form

Head-to-Head Record

BLB

Last 5 matches

SUN

3

Wins

0

Draws

2

Wins

• 1 Apr 2024

  Sunderland

  1

  -

  5

  Blackburn

• 20 Sept 2023

  Blackburn

  1

  -

  3

  Sunderland

• 26 Dec 2022

  Sunderland

  2

  -

  1

  Blackburn

• 18 Oct 2022

  Blackburn

  2

  -

  0

  Sunderland

• 20 Mar 2012

  Blackburn

  2

  -

  0

  Sunderland

11

Goals scored

6

Games over 2.5 goals

3/5

Both teams scored

3/5

Standings

Useful links

• Latest betting updates
• Championship news
• Blackburn team page
• Sunderland team page
• Football on TV in the UK