Carlisle United home clash with Bradford moved for live TV

Carlisle United's new year home clash with Bradford City has been brought forward to an early kick-off for live Sky coverage.

The Blues face the Bantams at Brunton Park on Saturday, January 18.

The game will now kick-off at 12.30pm, having originally been scheduled for 3pm.

It is the latest United game selected for live coverage on Sky Sports+.

It features in the latest EFL selections for the period up to the weekend of March 1.

The game against Graham Alexander's Bradford will be the first Brunton Park meeting between the clubs since May 2023's dramatic play-off semi-final second leg, which Carlisle won to reach Wembley.

It will be the clubs' first meeting at United's ground since Ben Barclay headed Carlisle to Wembley in May 2023's League Two play-off semi-final second leg (Image: Ben Holmes)

This season's encounter at Valley Parade saw Bradford win 2-1, two Andy Cook goals coming either side of a Harrison Neal effort.

It will be the fifth United league game chosen for Sky coverage with an early kick-off in 2024/25.

The Blues' home win against Barrow and away win over Salford City have already been televised, with the forthcoming home fixtures against Crewe Alexandra and Accrington Stanley also set for Sky Sports+ coverage.

Bradford currently sit tenth in League Two with the Cumbrians 23rd. The Bantams will be hoping to end a long run without a win at Carlisle's ground dating back to 1985, United unbeaten in ten home games against the west Yorkshire club since then.

The full list of broadcast selections for the period up to the March 1 weekend is available at EFL.com.

The league say selections for games from the first weekend in March onwards will be made on a four-week rolling basis.

Televised games for that weekend, for example, will be made four weeks in advance, ie in the first week in February.