Key Points
- Three Rangers Matches Rescheduled: Sky Sports has selected three of Rangers’ Scottish Premiership fixtures in December for live television broadcast.
- Hibernian Trip Moved to Monday Night: Rangers‘ journey to Easter Road to face Hibernian will now take place on Monday, 7 December, kicking off at 8:00 pm on Sky Sports.
- Early Kick-off at McDiarmid Park: Rangers’ match away against St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park has been shifted to Sunday, 13 December, with a 12:00 pm kick-off on Sky Sports, subject to Premier Sports Cup final arrangements.
- Blockbuster Ibrox Encounter Pushed Back: The home clash against Hearts at Ibrox has been selected by Sky Sports for Sunday, 20 December, kicking off at 2:30 pm.
- Celtic Selected for Television Coverage: Sky Sports has chosen Celtic’s trip to Pittodrie to face Aberdeen on Sunday, 20 December, while Premier Sports selected Celtic’s visit to Dens Park against Dundee on Wednesday, 2 December.
- Hearts Double Selection: Alongside the Ibrox showdown, Hearts’ away clash against St Mirren was selected by Premier Sports for Saturday, 5 December, at 5:30 pm.
Glasgow (Glasgow Express) October 12, 2026 — Sky Sports and Premier Sports, October 12, 2026 — Scottish Premiership broadcasters have finalized a major festive schedule shuffle, moving three key Rangers matches alongside high-profile Celtic and Hearts encounters to accommodate broadcast selections as the title battle intensifies.
Why Have the Scottish Premiership December Fixtures Been Rescheduled?
The Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL) confirmed the latest round of schedule alterations following television selections by lead broadcaster Sky Sports and subscriber network Premier Sports. Both networks have secured six high-profile fixtures during the congested December run-in to capture pivotal moments in the title race. As reported by Ewan Murray of The Guardian, television executives systematically target the December window because the dense fixture list frequently acts as the crucible for title race momentum.
The reshuffled slate begins in early December when Premier Sports broadcasts Celtic’s midweek visit to Dens Park to take on Dundee on Wednesday, 2 December. Premier Sports also selected Hearts’ away journey to face St Mirren in Paisley on Saturday, 5 December, pushing the kick-off back to 5:30 pm.
Which Rangers Games Have Been Moved for Live Television?
Sky Sports selected four additional fixtures heading into the festive period, three of which involve Philippe Clement’s Rangers side. As confirmed by official statements from Rangers Football Club, the first adjustment involves the trip to Edinburgh to face Hibernian at Easter Road, now scheduled for Monday, 7 December, with an 8:00 pm kick-off live on Sky Sports.
The Light Blues will subsequently travel to Perth to play St Johnstone at McDiarmid Park. As detailed by sports journalist Mark Hendry of The Daily Record, this match has been moved to Sunday, 13 December, in the early Sky Sports slot kicking off at 12:00 pm noon. The SPFL noted that the St Johnstone fixture remains subject to potential secondary movement depending on team progress relative to the Premier Sports Cup final scheduled for that period.
The third Rangers selection involves a marquee fixture at Ibrox Stadium. Hearts will travel to Glasgow to face Rangers on Sunday, 20 December, with kick-off confirmed for 2:30 pm live on Sky Sports.
How Does the Television Selection Impact Celtic and Hearts?
In addition to Rangers’ triple fixture change, Celtic have seen a critical away fixture selected for main network broadcast. As reported by Matthew Lindsay of The Glasgow Times, Celtic’s clash against Aberdeen at Pittodrie has been selected by Sky Sports for Sunday, 20 December, providing a double-header of Scottish Premiership action alongside Rangers’ match against Hearts.
The scheduling updates severely curtail standard weekend afternoon kick-offs for involved clubs. As highlighted by Hearts reporter Joel Sked of The Hearts Standard, Heart of Midlothian will not play a traditional 3:00 pm Saturday afternoon match from early December until their 2 January encounter against Kilmarnock at Tynecastle, owing entirely to the broadcast rearrangements against St Mirren and Rangers.
Background
The festive period in Scottish football represents one of the most intense, demanding stretches of the domestic calendar. Historically, the winter schedule places extraordinary athletic demands on squads while creating logistical complexities for match-going supporters travelling across Scotland during winter conditions. Television broadcast rights for the Scottish Premiership are primarily held by Sky Sports, which maintains exclusive main rights to air up to 60 live top-flight matches per season, complemented by Premier Sports’ selective domestic cup and league broadcast packages.
Rescheduling fixtures for television coverage requires multi-party coordination between the SPFL, participating clubs, local police authorities, and television executives. Broadcasters prioritize fixture selections around festive dates to capture high-audience metrics when supporter engagement peaks. Consequently, high-ranking clubs such as Rangers, Celtic, Hearts, and Aberdeen regularly feature in non-traditional kickoff slots, including Sunday afternoons, Saturday evenings, and Monday nights.
Prediction: How This Development Can Affect Travelling Supporters and Club Squad Management
This sweeping fixture reshuffle will significantly impact match-going supporters, club coaching staffs, and overall squad rotation strategies throughout December.
- Impact on Travelling Supporters: Supporters face significant logistical hurdles. Moving the Hibernian versus Rangers fixture to a Monday night (8:00 pm) complicates travel arrangements between Glasgow and Edinburgh during peak holiday traffic. Furthermore, Hearts supporters travelling to Glasgow for a 2:30 pm Sunday kick-off, alongside Celtic fans journeying north to Aberdeen on the same afternoon, will contend with winter public transport schedules and heavy holiday travel congestion.
- Impact on Squad Rotation and Fitness: With matches condensed across Sunday, Monday, and midweek slots, managers must navigate reduced recovery windows. The shift of Rangers’ trip to Perth to a Sunday noon kickoff following potential mid-week cup or European commitments limits physical recovery time, heightening squad fatigue and injury risks during the busiest month of the domestic campaign.
- Impact on Title Race Momentum: The synchronized broadcast of Celtic at Pittodrie and Rangers hosting Hearts on Sunday, 20 December, creates a direct psychological pressure point. Results on that afternoon could significantly swing the league standings entering Christmas week, altering the momentum of the title race as clubs head into the final fixtures of the calendar year.
