First Real Madrid-Barcelona Clash Of Season Not Available To British Fans

British TV viewers will "not be able to watch" the first La Liga Clásico of the season, according to Sam Morshead of the London DAILY MAIL. The meeting between Barcelona and Real Madrid at the Nou Camp "will be screened in over 100 countries" but, despite the "huge appetite for the game," the U.K. audience will have to "make do" with highlights due to the game's kickoff time. La Liga confirmed the match will get under way at 3:15pm, and a U.K. rule "prevents live football from being televised" between 2:45pm and 5:15pm on Saturdays. The scheduling of the fixture to fall in the Saturday afternoon slot is "part of a deliberate ploy by La Liga to take viewing figures away from the Premier League." The Saturday afternoon blackout was introduced in the '60s "after club bigwigs voiced concerns that televised matches during those periods would discourage supporters from attending games in person." However, "in recent years the rule's relevance in the modern world has been questioned" (DAILY MAIL, 11/29).