Getty Sonny Bradley of Luton Town is congratulated after the Blackburn Rovers score a second own goal during the Sky Bet Championship match between Luton Town and Blackburn Rovers at Kenilworth Road on July 22, 2020 in Luton, England
The English Football League (EFL) Championship playoffs are down to their final four teams. Sunderland and Luton Town kick off the first leg of their semifinal on Saturday.
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In the United States, the match (12:30 p.m. ET start time) won’t be on TV, but anyone in the US can watch Sunderland vs Luton Town live on ESPN+ right here:
ESPN+ includes every EFL playoff match, plus dozens of other live sports, every 30-for-30 documentary and additional original content (both video and written) for $9.99 per month or $99.99 per year (or $13.99 per month for a bundle of all three of ESPN+, Disney+ and Hulu).
Once signed up for ESPN+, you can watch Sunderland vs Luton Town live on the ESPN app or ESPN.com.
Compatible devices for the ESPN app include Roku, Roku TV, Amazon Fire TV or Firestick, Apple TV, Chromecast, PlayStation 4 or 5, Xbox One or Series X/S, any device with Android TV (such as a Sony TV or Nvidia Shield), Samsung Smart TV, Oculus Go, iPhone, Android phone, iPad or Android tablet.
Sunderland vs Luton Town Preview
Going into the semifinals of the EFL Championship playoffs, Luton Town is the highest-ranked side. Therefore, they’ll take on the lowest ranked side, Sunderland. During the regular season, the two teams played twice and both matches ended in 1-1 draws.
In a press conference, Luton Town captain Sonny Bradley has announced that this is his final season with the Hatters. He also said that on his way out, he would love to see Luton Town get promoted to the Premier League, which is the prize awaiting the winner of the playoffs.
“I’m just happy to be back, happy to be back playing and looking at the bigger picture, this is my last season at the club, and I know there are people standing here and whoever the captain may be next season, I know I’m going to pass the torch on to a good player, so for that, I’m grateful,” said Bradley at the 2023 Kit Sponsors’ dinner (via Luton Town’s official website).
Luton Town manager Rob Edwards added:
I had a really positive chat with Sonny yesterday about the future, and I thought he spoke brilliantly on stage at the dinner last night. It felt right for him to share the news that he would be moving on at the end of his contract, and for all he has done for Luton Town Football Club, he deserves a great send off.
I have so much respect for him as a human being and a player, because he’s done such a great job as captain of this club for such a long time, and has been vital to helping myself, Richie and Paul settle here so quickly this season. Going forward it is the right thing for Sonny and the Club to part ways, and we wish him and his family every success for the future. But we all understand, and Sonny more than anyone, that there is still a job to do this season.
We have a huge couple of weeks ahead of us and he will play a big part in that, but I urge every supporter to thank him for what he has done for Luton Town whenever you get the chance.
At the end of the EFL Championship season, the top two teams overall and then the winner of the playoffs between the teams that finished third through sixth are promoted to the Premier League. The two teams already promoted are Burnley and Sheffield United, and Luton Town, Sunderland, Coventry City and Middlesbrough are all fighting for the final promotion spot.
The semifinals are held in two legs. If the clubs split the two games, the aggregate number of goals advances to the finals. Sunderland and Luton Town play on Saturday, May 13 and Tuesday, May 16, while Coventry City and Middlesbrough play on Sunday, May 14 and Wednesday, May 17.
Leg one of the Sunderland vs Luton Town semifinal airs on Saturday, May 13 at 12:30 p.m. Eastern time on ESPN Plus.
