Explained: Why Nottingham Forest vs Sheffield United Premier League clash is not on TV in the UK

• Game originally scheduled for Saturday 3pm
• Brought forward to avoid clash with cricket
• Will not be broadcast on UK TV channels

WHAT HAPPENED? The two teams last squared off in a memorable and controversial Championshipplay-off semi final in May last year, but viewers hoping to catch the latest instalment of the rivalry will be frustrated to find that tonight's clash falls outside the Premier League's broadcast deal, despite its apparently viewer-friendly kick-off time.

THE BIGGER PICTURE: The game was originally scheduled to played on Saturday at 3pm. That traditional British kick-off slot has long been protected by a domestic television blackout, excluding matches fixed for that time from the Premier League's various rights deals. With a pair of cricket fixtures scheduled to take place at the neighboring cricket ground, fears over congestion in the city led to Forest's home opener being brought forward to tonight. Despite the new date and time, the game remains outside of the rights packages sold by the Premier League.

IN TWO PHOTOS:

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WHAT NEXT FOR FOREST AND SHEFFIELD UNITED? While sadly hidden away from the TV viewing public, tonight's match promises to be a crucial one for both sides as they look to register their first points of the campaign.