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

Bristol City will aim to tighten their grip on a Championship playoff spot when they host Sunderland at Ashton Gate this Good Friday.

The Robins head into the round perched inside the top six, holding a four-point cushion over the chasing pack in seventh. Last time out, they were forced to settle for a point in a 1-1 draw at QPR, with Karamoko Dembele's early opener canceled out by George Earthy at Loftus Road.

Their visitors, Sunderland, find themselves in a curious position — 12 points shy of automatic promotion but also comfortably clear of any playoff threat, sitting 12 points ahead of fifth and 16 above seventh. Following a narrow 1-0 loss to Swansea City on home soil, there's little left for the Black Cats to play for in terms of league ambition.

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

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

Sky Sports+

Watch here

In the United Kingdom (UK), the Championship match between Bristol City and Sunderland will be available to watch live on Sky Sports.

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.

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Bristol City vs Sunderland kick-off time

Championship - Championship

Ashton Gate

The Championship match between Bristol City and Sunderland will be played at Ashton Gate in Bristol, England.

It will kick off at 8:00 pm BST on Friday, April 18, 2025, in the UK.

Team news & squads

Bristol City vs Sunderland lineups

Bristol City

3-4-2-1

Formation

4-2-3-1

SUN

1

M. O'Leary

16

R. Dickie

19

G. Tanner

14

Z. Vyner

8

J. Williams

12

J. Knight

3

C. Pring

2

R. McCrorie

6

M. Bird

40

G. Earthy

21

N. Wells

1

A. Patterson

13

L. O'Nien

32

T. Hume

33

L. Hjelde

26

C. Mepham

4

D. Neil

11

C. Rigg

10

P. Roberts

40

T. Watson

28

E. Le Fee

12

E. Mayenda

4-2-3-1

SUN

BRC

-Line up

• 1

  M. O'Leary

• 16

  R. Dickie

  55’

• 19

  G. Tanner

  46’

• 14

  Z. Vyner

• 8

  J. Williams

  72’

• 12

  J. Knight

• 3

  C. Pring

  48’

• 2

  R. McCrorie

  76’

  90’ + 2’

• 6

  M. Bird

  72’

• 40

  G. Earthy

  81’

• 21

  N. Wells

Substitutes

• 20

  S. Bell

• 24

  H. Roberts

  90’ + 2’

• 7

  Y. Hirakawa

  46’

• 31

  E. Morrison

• 11

  A. Mehmeti

  72’

• 23

  S. Bajic

• 30

  S. Armstrong

• 10

  S. Twine

  72’

• 29

  M. McGuane

  81’

Manager

• L. Manning

SUN

-Line up

• 1

  A. Patterson

  66’

• 13

  L. O'Nien

• 32

  T. Hume

  7’

• 33

  L. Hjelde

  80’

  82’

• 26

  C. Mepham

• 4

  D. Neil

• 11

  C. Rigg

  61’

• 10

  P. Roberts

  61’

• 40

  T. Watson

• 28

  E. Le Fee

  61’

• 12

  E. Mayenda

  31’

  77’

Substitutes

• 20

  S. Abdul Samed

  61’

• 50

  H. Jones

• 7

  J. Bellingham

  61’

• 8

  A. Browne

  77’

• 18

  W. Isidor

  61’

• 21

  S. Moore

• 45

  J. Anderson

  82’

  89’

• 30

  M. Aleksic

• 55

  B. Middlemas

Manager

• R. Le Bris

Bristol City team news

In terms of squad availability, Bristol City have few concerns. Luke McNally remains sidelined with a knee injury, while Ayman Benarous continues his long-term recovery from a hamstring issue that has ruled him out for the entire campaign.

Sunderland team news

Sunderland, however, are dealing with a lengthy injury list. Boss Le Bris is missing key defenders Dennis Cirkin and Dan Ballard, while Aji Alese and Niall Huggins are also ruled out. Meanwhile, Jayden Danns, on loan from Liverpool, has yet to make an appearance since his January arrival.

Form

Head-to-Head Record

BRC

Last 5 matches

SUN

1

Win

3

Draws

1

Win

• Sunderland

  1

  -

  1

  Bristol City

• Sunderland

  0

  -

  0

  Bristol City

• Bristol City

  1

  -

  0

  Sunderland

• Sunderland

  1

  -

  1

  Bristol City

• Bristol City

  2

  -

  3

  Sunderland

5

Goals scored

5

Games over 2.5 goals

1/5

Both teams scored

3/5

Standings

Useful links

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