What channel is Derby v Preston on?
Derby v Preston kicks off on Saturday 20 March at 3pm UK time, at Pride Park Stadium, in the Championship, matchday 39. The UK broadcasters have not confirmed a channel for this match yet; this page updates as soon as they do.
Derby are 23rd with 6 points from 11 matches (1 won, 3 drawn, 7 lost), 2 defeats in a row; Preston are 24th with 4 points from 11 (1 won, 1 drawn, 9 lost), 3 defeats in a row. Goals: Derby have scored 9 and conceded 20 (-11), Preston have scored 9 and conceded 24 (-15). Derby have taken 2 points from 6 home matches, Preston 1 point from 6 away matches. Arena Rete's model makes Derby favourites (42%), with 1-1 the most likely score. In the 15 previous meetings on record: 8 wins for Derby, 3 draws, 4 wins for Preston.
How to watch Derby v Preston in the UK
The Championship TV guide →No channel has been announced for Derby v Preston yet. The UK rights to the Championship are held by:
- Sky SportsThe selected the Championship matches on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports Main Event; Sky shows more than 1,000 EFL matches a season under a deal that runs to 2028/29.
- ITVfreeTen EFL matches a season live and free to air on ITV1 and ITVX, shown alongside Sky.
The streaming services that carry the Championship:
- Sky Sports+The matches not on the main Sky Sports channels; included with Sky Sports at no extra cost: the Sky Sports+ channel and the Sky Sports app on Sky Q, Sky Glass, Sky Stream and mobile.
- Sky GoEvery match shown on the Sky Sports channels; included for Sky Sports customers, on phones, tablets, laptops and consoles.
- NOWEvery match shown on the Sky Sports channels; with a NOW Sports membership, no long contract.
- ITVXfreeThe ten free-to-air matches and the highlights; free, with registration.
Matches kicking off between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on a Saturday are not shown live anywhere in the UK: it is the long-standing "closed period" that protects attendances across the football pyramid. Ten EFL matches a season are live and free on ITV1 and ITVX. Everything else needs Sky Sports or NOW. ITV shows free highlights with every goal from the three EFL divisions, on ITVX. Rights checked on 1 October 2026.
How they come into it
Full head to head →
- Sat 17 OctDerby 0-1 Stoke City
- Wed 14 OctQPR 4-1 Derby
- Sat 10 OctDerby 1-1 Wrexham
- Sat 19 SeptBurnley 1-1 Derby
- Sat 12 SeptDerby 1-2 Birmingham
- Sat 17 OctWrexham 4-1 Preston
- Tue 13 OctBirmingham 4-0 Preston
- Sat 10 OctPreston 0-1 Millwall
- Sat 19 SeptQPR 2-2 Preston
- Sat 12 SeptPreston 0-1 Lincoln
What is at stake
If it ended today →Derby are 23rd, in the relegation zone: 13 pts off the play-offs. Preston are 24th, in the relegation zone: 15 pts off the play-offs. 2 points separate the two sides.
In the Championship: The top two go up automatically. Play-offs from third to sixth. The bottom three are relegated. Positions and points are from the official table.
Line-ups appear here as soon as our data provider publishes them, usually an hour before kick-off.
The data forecast
Full head to head →Poisson model on 11 league matches for Derby and 11 for Preston, actual goals and expected goals weighted equally; early in the season teams start from the league average. This is an estimate, not betting advice.
Head-to-head record
Derby v Preston down the years15 meetings in our data provider's archive · goals: Derby 12, Preston 8 · 1.3 per match
- 17 Jan 2026Preston0-1DerbyChampionship
- 20 Sept 2025Derby0-1PrestonChampionship
- 2 Apr 2025Derby2-0PrestonChampionship
- 23 Nov 2024Preston1-1DerbyChampionship
- 2 Apr 2022Derby1-0PrestonChampionship
- 16 Oct 2021Preston0-0DerbyChampionship
- 20 Apr 2021Preston3-0DerbyChampionship
- 26 Dec 2020Derby0-1PrestonChampionship
- 15 Sept 2020Derby1-2PrestonEFL Cup
- 1 Jul 2020Preston0-1DerbyChampionship
and 5 older ones.
The last meeting was on 17 Jan 2026: Preston 0-1 Derby. With Derby at home: 5 home wins, 0 draws and 3 away wins in 8 matches, goals 8-4. Derby last won this fixture on 17 Jan 2026 (Preston 0-1 Derby). Preston last won it on 20 Sept 2025 (Derby 0-1 Preston).
The numbers compared
All Championship team stats →Derby on the left, Preston on the right: league matches only, 11 and 11 played.
The questions people ask
- What time does Derby v Preston kick off?
- Saturday 20 March at 3pm UK time, at Pride Park Stadium.
- What channel is Derby v Preston on in the UK?
- The channel has not been confirmed yet. TV selections are usually announced about six weeks before the match.
- Is Derby v Preston on free-to-air TV?
- No. Ten EFL matches a season are live and free on ITV1 and ITVX. Everything else needs Sky Sports or NOW.
- Where can I watch Derby v Preston highlights?
- ITV shows free highlights with every goal from the three EFL divisions, on ITVX.
- Where is Derby v Preston being played?
- At Pride Park Stadium, capacity 33,597. Derby are the home side.
- Where are Derby and Preston in the table?
- Derby are 23rd with 6 points from 11 matches; Preston are 24th with 4 points from 11. Derby are 23rd, in the relegation zone: 13 pts off the play-offs. Preston are 24th, in the relegation zone: 15 pts off the play-offs.
- What form are Derby and Preston in?
- Last league results, most recent first. Derby: L L D D L (2 defeats in a row). Preston: L L L D L (3 defeats in a row).
- Who is the favourite in Derby v Preston?
- Arena Rete's model makes Derby favourites (42%), from the two sides' league results. Most likely score: 1-1. It is an estimate, not betting advice.
- What is the head-to-head record between Derby and Preston?
- 15 meetings on record: 8 wins for Derby, 3 draws, 4 wins for Preston; goals 12-8.
- When did Derby and Preston last meet?
- On 17 Jan 2026 (Championship): Preston 0-1 Derby.
- Where can I follow Derby v Preston live?
- On Arena Rete's match page: the score, the goalscorers and the line-ups update on their own.
The rest of the round on TV
The Championship TV guide →This page is for viewers in the United Kingdom, and its times are UK time. Rights and channels change: check the broadcaster's own listing on the day. League tables rebuilt from results do not include points deductions; expected goals and team stats come from our data provider, where it supplies them. We earn nothing from these links.