West Ham vs Portsmouth: How to watch Carabao Cup first round and kick-off time
West Ham United start their 2026-27 competitive action with a Carabao Cup clash against Portsmouth on Saturday.
Pre-season is in the books, and now the proper football can begin for West Ham.
What a summer campaign it's been for the Hammers too, with Nuno Espirito Santo's side going unbeaten with wins over Colchester and Stevenage, as well as draws against Rangers, Southend and Magdeburg respectively.
Portsmouth, on the other hand, haven't enjoyed as strong a summer, losing to Aldershot Town and Wycombe, as well as drawing with the likes of Darmstadt, Farnborough and Bristol Rovers respectively.
However, Pompey do provide West Ham with their first look at Championship opposition, ahead of what is hoped to be a 2026-27 campaign that ends with an instant return to the Premier League.
So, ahead of Saturday's London Stadium meeting, West Ham Zone has you covered with all the details on how to watch the match, as well as key timings.
What channel is West Ham vs Portsmouth being shown on?
One of the big silver linings regarding West Ham's relegation to the Championship as that fans will get plenty more opportunities to watch their team live in 2026-27.
Sky Sports are showing over 1,000 of the EFL's (English Football League) 1,891 games this coming season, with every single one of the 72 EFL clubs being shown live over 20 times this term.
This season's Carabao Cup is already underway, with League Two Walsall causing the first shock of the competition by beating Championship side Bristol City on Thursday night.
A further three matches are taking place on Friday evening, with the headline clash being an all-Championship contest between Middlesbrough and Wrexham
Then it's West Ham's turn, as they welcome Portsmouth to the London Stadium for a 3pm kick-off on Saturday.
For fans not attending the game, it will be shown live on Sky Sports+, which is the bonus channel that Irons fans can use to watch plenty of their team's matches this season.
So, when was the last time West Ham clashed with Portsmouth, and why is this Saturday's match going to be a history-making one?
Why West Ham have history books on their side vs Portsmouth
West Ham and Portsmouth; two historic English football clubs set to contest a match that has the feel of a proper old-school cup tie.
It's been a case of long time no see for these two as well, with the last time they met being in mid-January 2012 when a Mark Noble penalty earned the Irons a 1-0 win at Fratton Park in the Championship.
West Ham did the double over Pompey that year too, winning 4-3 in September 2011, and the Hammers are also unbeaten against Portsmouth in their last six meetings.
However, this Saturday's match will be the very first time these two sides have ever met in the League Cup, and so a history-making victory is on offer in E20.