The new Championship season kicks off under the lights on Friday night, with Birmingham City playing host to Ipswich Town in a mouth-watering opener at St Andrew’s.
Fresh off a record-smashing campaign in League One, Birmingham return to the second tier brimming with momentum. Chris Davies guided the Blues to a whopping 111 points last season, and with an aggressive recruitment drive over the summer, they're widely tipped as the strongest promoted side since Ipswich’s own rise two years ago. However, the big question is how Davies' possession-focused philosophy will hold up under the increased pressure of Championship football.
As for Ipswich, they come into the new campaign licking their wounds after a brief Premier League stint. Despite that setback, Kieran McKenna's men remain well-equipped for another promotion push. While the departure of attacking spark Liam Delap is a blow, the arrival of Dutch midfield general Azor Matusiwa adds both pedigree and bite in the middle of the park, a signing that signals serious intent.
Here, GOAL brings you everything you need to know about how to watch, including TV channel, streaming details and more.
How to watch Birmingham vs Ipswich online - TV channels & live streams
 | Fubo | Watch here |
 | Paramount+ | Watch here |
 | DirecTV Stream | Watch here |
 | CBS Sports Network | Watch here |
The match will be shown live on Paramount+, Fubo, DirecTV Stream and CBS Sports Networkin the US. Live updates can be found here on GOAL.
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.
Birmingham vs Ipswich kick-off time
The match will be played at St. Andrew's Knighthead Park in Birmingham on Friday, August 8, with kick-off at 3:00 pm ET or 12:00 pm PT for fans in the US.
Team news & squads
Birmingham vs Ipswich lineups
4-2-3-1
Formation
4-4-1-1
IPSBIR-Line up
BIRSubstitutes
Manager
C. Davies
IPS-Line up
IPSSubstitutes
Manager
K. McKenna
Injuries and Suspended players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Injuries and Suspensions
- No sidelined players
Birmingham team news
Birmingham boss Chris Davies could hand first outings to several fresh faces, including shot-stopper James Beadle, dynamic full-back Bright Osayi-Samuel, and Japanese frontman Kyogo Furahashi. In defence, with Eiran Cashin, Christoph Klarer, and Phil Neumann all pushing for places, the manager faces a welcome selection headache.
Injury concerns persist, though. Tyler Roberts and Kanya Fujimoto are ruled out of the curtain-raiser, while Conor Townsend and Jaden Philogene remain touch-and-go after knocks in their final preseason outing.
Ipswich team news
Ipswich, too, have fitness worries — key left-back Leif Davis sat out the last friendly, and Harry Clarke is sidelined long-term with a knee issue. These gaps could open the door for veteran Ashley Young, who may get the nod for his debut at left-back at the age of 40.
Form
BIR-Form
BIRBirmingham
1
-
0
Nottingham Forest
W
Port Vale
0
-
2
Birmingham
W
Northampton
3
-
0
Birmingham
L
Birmingham
1
-
0
Solihull Moors
W
Burton
1
-
0
Birmingham
L
- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 4/4
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 1/5
- Both teams scored
- 0/5
IPS-Form
IPS- Goal Scored (Conceded)
- 13/6
- Games over 2.5 goals
- 5/5
- Both teams scored
- 4/5
Head-to-Head Record
BIRLast 5 matches
IPS1
Win
3
Draws
1
Win
Ipswich
3
-
1
Birmingham
Birmingham
2
-
2
Ipswich
Ipswich
1
-
1
Birmingham
Birmingham
2
-
2
Ipswich
Birmingham
1
-
0
Ipswich
Goals scored
8- Games over 2.5 goals
- 3/5
- Both teams scored
- 4/5