Carabao Cup: Prize money, second round draw, key dates and how to watch Sunderland & EFL Cup rivals

Sunderland begin their Carabao Cup campaign with a first round clash against Preston North End on Tuesday night.

The Black Cats travel to Deepdale off the back of a 2-0 win over Cardiff City in their Championship curtain-raiser on Saturday, and in the immediate aftermath of Preston parting company with manager Ryan Lowe, whose contract was terminated by mutual consent.

Following a 2-0 opening day defeat at the hands of Sheffield United, and subsequent discussions on Sunday, the Lilywhites announced Lowe’s exit in an official statement on Monday morning - and Sunderland will be hoping that the sudden disruption brings with it a greater likelihood of them reaching the second round in midweek.

But how much money could Regis Le Bris and his side earn with a decent run in the cup this season? We’ve taken a closer look, as well as rounding up other key information on this year’s Carabao Cup, below...

How much is the Carabao Cup prize money?

Despite the Carabao Cup being one of the biggest competitions in English football, the prize money on offer at each stage of the tournament is relatively modest.

Last season, the winners of the entire thing, Liverpool, will only have pocketed around £100,000 for beating Chelsea in the final at Wembley, while a win in the first round was worth around £5,000.

The full list of prize monies for each stage of progression during last year’s competition is as follows:

• First round winners - £5,000
• Second round winners - £7,000
• Third round winners - £10,000
• Fourth round winners - £15,000
• Quarter-finalists - £25,000
• Semi-finalists - £25,000
• Runner-up - £50,000
• Winner - £100,000

How to watch the Carabao Cup

For the first time ever, Sky Sports will be able to broadcast every single Carabao Cup tie, from the first round all the way through to the final. This service will be available via Sky Sports+, the broadcaster’s new venture that will vastly increase the amount of live sport on offer over the course of the coming campaign.

Sky have also agreed a deal in principle with ITV that would permit the latter to show some Carabao Cup and Championship matches on free-to-air television from January 2025 onwards. It is expected that the Carabao Cup semi-finals could be the first matches to benefit from this new platform.

When is the second round draw for the Carabao Cup?

The second round draw for this year’s Carabao Cup will take place on Wednesday, August 14th, following the conclusion of Leeds United vs Middlesbrough live on Sky Sports. Burnley, Luton Town, and the 13 Premier League sides not participating in European competitions will enter the competition at this stage. The Carabao Cup remains regionalised in the early rounds, with the draw split into a southern and northern section until Round Three.  

What are the key dates for the Carabao Cup 2024/25?

The key dates for this season’s Carabao Cup are as follows:

• First Round - w/c August 12th
• Second Round - w/c August 26th
• Third Round - w/c September 16th
• Fourth Round - w/c October 28th
• Quarter-final - w/c December 16th
• Semi-final - w/c January 6th, 2025
• Final - March 16th, 2025