El Clasico 2016-17: Barcelona vs. Real Madrid Won't Be Shown Live on British TV

The first Clasico of the 2016-17 season between Barcelona and Real Madrid will not be shown live on British television because it kicks off during a regulated blackout period. 

It has been confirmed that Barcelona will host Real Madrid in La Liga on Dec. 3, with the match starting at 4:15 p.m. local time, 3:15 p.m. GMT.

Per Ed Malyon in the Mirror, a longstanding rule agreed between the FA, Premier League and Football League prohibits live football from being broadcast on British television between 2:45 p.m. and 5:15 p.m. on a Saturday

As a result, while over 100 other countries worldwide will be able to watch one of the season's biggest fixtures play out live, British football fans will have to make do with delayed highlights, as they did last year.

Bleacher Report UK summed up the likely reaction of many:

Per Malyon, La Liga's recent habit of scheduling fixtures in the 3 p.m. window is part of an effort from the Spanish game to take some of the Premier League's audience.

The English top-flight's Saturday afternoon fixtures have begun to be superseded globally by the La Liga action, as explained by La Liga President Javier Tebas, via Malyon: "With these kick-off times we have more than doubled income."

In the case of December's El Clasico, the worldwide football audience will be focused, in the main, on watching two of the planet's biggest clubs—and many of its best players—fight it out at the Camp Nou.

The scheduling of the fixture means it will be on at a reasonable hour for even the most casual fans in much of the United States, South America and China, but diehard La Liga supporters in Britain will have no access to it at all.