Two teams will contest the final match of the 2024/25 League One season when the play-off final decides who will take the last spot in next season’s Championship.
Four clubs will be hoping to join third-tier champions Birmingham City and runners-up Wrexham in the second tier.
Oxford United, who finished fifth, beat Bolton Wanderers to win the 2023/24 final and proceeded to stay up this season.
101GreatGoals.com explains when the League One play-off final is, where it will take place and how the EFL play-offs are organised.
When is the League One playoff final 2025?
This season’s League One play-off final will take place on Sunday May 25 2025, giving the winners less than three months to prepare for the new EFL campaign, which starts on the second weekend of August.
League One playoff final kickoff time
Kick-off in the League One play-off final 2025 is 13:00 BST.
Where is the League One playoff final? 2025 venue
The game will take place at Wembley Stadium, as it has every season since 2007.
Cardiff’s Millennium Stadium hosted the spectacle for the six preceding seasons, and the old Wembley Stadium was its home between 1990 and 2000.
🏆🏆 A special season for @wwfcofficial‘s @richardkone17, and it’s not over yet! 👊#EFLAwards | @SkyBet https://t.co/zXMVvfVN6l pic.twitter.com/lr1XoA90Mw
— Sky Bet League One (@SkyBetLeagueOne) April 27, 2025
How do the EFL playoffs work?
The EFL play-offs are an annual series of matches to determine the final promotion places within each division of the EFL.
First introduced in 1987, the play-offs are used to separate the four teams that finish directly below the automatic promotion places in EFL divisions through a series of play-off matches.
In League One, the team finishing third meets the team in sixth and the side coming fourth takes on the club in fifth in two-legged semi-finals.
The first leg is held at the home of the team that finished lowest, with the second hosted by the team who achieved the higher position.
The winner is decided on aggregate, advancing to a one-off game to decide who is promoted at Wembley Stadium. Away goals are not used.
Are penalties and extra time used in the playoff final?
Extra time and, if necessary, penalties are used if the aggregate scoreline is level after the end of regular time in the second legs of the semi-finals.
The final also uses extra time and penalties if the teams are level.
Will Collar on Thursday: “I’m probably a little bit disappointed in terms of goal contributions.”
Will Collar on Saturday: Assists the first, scores the second 🅰️⚽#StockportCounty pic.twitter.com/Uy847qOKv2
— Stockport County (@StockportCounty) April 28, 2025
How to watch the EFL League One playoffs on TV
Sky Sports agreed to broadcast more than 1,000 live EFL matches a season from the start of 2024/25, including games on Sky Sports Football and Sky Sports+.
ITV is also now broadcasting a select number of games also available on Sky Sports, as well as 55 highlights programmes a season.
Prices for Sky Sports and TNT Sports vary. Via Now TV, Sky Sports costs £14.99 for a day membership, £26 a month for a six-month membership or £34.99 a month with no contract.
Sky Sports memberships include access to all 12 live Sky Sports channels and Sky Sports+, which offers live streams and a dedicated channel.
League One playoffs live streams: How to watch online
Both broadcasters have dedicated apps allowing fans to live-stream the games: SkyGO for Sky Sports and ITVX for ITV.
Both apps are available on a vast range of devices, including smart TVs, gaming consoles, set-top boxes and mobile devices.
When are the Championship and League One fixtures released 2025/26?
The full schedule will be announced at 09:00 BST on Thursday, June 26 2025.
The draws for round one of the EFL Cup and the Vertu Trophy group stage will be made on the same day and shown live on Sky Sports News.
EFL fixtures release date 2025/26
Dates will be made available on the EFL website.
Fans can automatically download the schedule to their devices by synchronising it with the EFL Championship calendar.
When does the 2025/26 League One season start and end?
The first round of matches in 2025/26 will be on the weekend of August 9 2025, with the final games of the regular season on the weekend of May 2 2026.
The Championship play-off final 2025/26 will take place on May 24 2026.
