Hearts v Hibs game switched for TV coverage

Hearts and Hibernian will meet at Tynecastle on 3 January. Picture: Jane Barlow

The New Year match between Hearts and Hibernian at Tynecastle is one of a number of live televised fixtures for December and early January announced yesterday by the SPFL, with Hibs having another high-profile Championship game a week earlier, when Rangers visit Easter Road.

Perhaps the most demanding piece of festive scheduling is the timing of the Dundee derby on New Year’s Day. The game at Tannadice has been given a 12:15pm kick-off time, leaving spectators little time to sleep off their celebrations before heading for the match. Later the same day, Partick Thistle host Celtic, the match starting at 5:30pm.

United fans face a late-night return to Dundee at the start of December, when their Premiership match against Ross County takes place in Dingwall on a Friday night, with a 7:45pm kick-off. The last TV fixture in yesterday’s announcement is on Monday 5 January, when Kilmarnock are at home to Celtic at 8pm.

Live festive TV Fixtures:

Friday 5 December

Premiership: Ross County v Dundee United (BT Sport, 7:45pm)

Saturday 6 December

Premiership: Motherwell v Celtic (Sky Sports, 12:45pm)

Friday 12 December

Championship: Queen of the South v Rangers (BT Sport, 7:45pm)

Sunday 21 December

Premiership: Dundee United v Celtic (BT Sport, 12:15pm)

Saturday 27 December

Championship: Hibernian v Rangers (Sky Sports, 12:15pm)

Sunday 28 December

Premiership: Inverness Caledonian Thistle v Aberdeen (BT Sport, 3pm)

Thursday 1 January

Premiership: Dundee United v Dundee (BT Sport, 12:15pm)

Premiership: Partick Thistle v Celtic (Sky Sports, 5:30pm)

Saturday 3 January

Championship: Heart of Midlothian v Hibernian (BT Sport, 12:45pm)

Sunday 4 January

Premiership: Motherwell v Aberdeen (Sky Sports, 3:30pm)

Monday 5 January

Premiership: Kilmarnock v Celtic (Sky Sports, 8pm).