What channel is Middlesbrough v Preston on?
Middlesbrough v Preston kicks off on Friday 1 January at 3pm UK time, at Riverside Stadium, in the Championship, matchday 25. The UK broadcasters have not confirmed a channel for this match yet; this page updates as soon as they do.
Middlesbrough are 3rd with 22 points from 11 matches (6 won, 4 drawn, 1 lost), unbeaten in 9; Preston are 24th with 4 points from 11 (1 won, 1 drawn, 9 lost), 3 defeats in a row. Goals: Middlesbrough have scored 22 and conceded 16 (+6), Preston have scored 9 and conceded 24 (-15). Middlesbrough have taken 14 points from 6 home matches, Preston 1 point from 6 away matches. Leading scorers: Will Lankshear (9) for Middlesbrough. Arena Rete's model makes Middlesbrough favourites (70%), with 2-0 the most likely score. In the 15 previous meetings on record: 5 wins for Middlesbrough, 3 draws, 7 wins for Preston.
How to watch Middlesbrough v Preston in the UK
The Championship TV guide →No channel has been announced for Middlesbrough 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 OctMiddlesbrough 2-2 Cardiff
- Tue 13 OctStoke City 2-3 Middlesbrough
- Sat 10 OctMiddlesbrough 1-0 Wolves
- Sat 19 SeptBirmingham 2-2 Middlesbrough
- Tue 15 SeptMiddlesbrough 2-2 Millwall
- 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 →Middlesbrough are 3rd, in the play-off places: level on points with automatic promotion and 14 pts clear of the relegation zone. Preston are 24th, in the relegation zone: 15 pts off the play-offs. 18 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 Middlesbrough 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
Middlesbrough v Preston down the years15 meetings in our data provider's archive · goals: Middlesbrough 26, Preston 21 · 3.1 per match
- 24 Jan 2026Middlesbrough4-0PrestonChampionship
- 13 Sept 2025Preston2-2MiddlesbroughChampionship
- 25 Jan 2025Preston2-1MiddlesbroughChampionship
- 14 Sept 2024Middlesbrough1-1PrestonChampionship
- 14 Feb 2024Preston2-1MiddlesbroughChampionship
- 28 Nov 2023Middlesbrough4-0PrestonChampionship
- 18 Mar 2023Middlesbrough4-0PrestonChampionship
- 29 Oct 2022Preston2-1MiddlesbroughChampionship
- 7 May 2022Preston4-1MiddlesbroughChampionship
- 23 Nov 2021Middlesbrough1-2PrestonChampionship
and 5 older ones.
The last meeting was on 24 Jan 2026: Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston. With Middlesbrough at home: 4 home wins, 2 draws and 2 away wins in 8 matches, goals 18-6. Middlesbrough last won this fixture on 24 Jan 2026 (Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston). Preston last won it on 25 Jan 2025 (Preston 2-1 Middlesbrough).
The numbers compared
All Championship team stats →Middlesbrough on the left, Preston on the right: league matches only, 11 and 11 played.
The questions people ask
- What time does Middlesbrough v Preston kick off?
- Friday 1 January at 3pm UK time, at Riverside Stadium.
- What channel is Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough 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 Middlesbrough v Preston highlights?
- ITV shows free highlights with every goal from the three EFL divisions, on ITVX.
- Where is Middlesbrough v Preston being played?
- At Riverside Stadium, capacity 34,742. Middlesbrough are the home side.
- Where are Middlesbrough and Preston in the table?
- Middlesbrough are 3rd with 22 points from 11 matches; Preston are 24th with 4 points from 11. Middlesbrough are 3rd, in the play-off places: level on points with automatic promotion and 14 pts clear of the relegation zone. Preston are 24th, in the relegation zone: 15 pts off the play-offs.
- What form are Middlesbrough and Preston in?
- Last league results, most recent first. Middlesbrough: D W W D D (unbeaten in 9). Preston: L L L D L (3 defeats in a row).
- Who are the top scorers for Middlesbrough and Preston?
- Middlesbrough: Will Lankshear (9). Championship goals only.
- Who is the favourite in Middlesbrough v Preston?
- Arena Rete's model makes Middlesbrough favourites (70%), from the two sides' league results. Most likely score: 2-0. It is an estimate, not betting advice.
- What is the head-to-head record between Middlesbrough and Preston?
- 15 meetings on record: 5 wins for Middlesbrough, 3 draws, 7 wins for Preston; goals 26-21.
- When did Middlesbrough and Preston last meet?
- On 24 Jan 2026 (Championship): Middlesbrough 4-0 Preston.
- Where can I follow Middlesbrough 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.