What time does el Clásico start?

The first el Clasico of the 2016/17 season between Barcelona and Real Madrid kicks off on Saturday, December 3, 2016.

The kickoff time, however, will be very unconventional.

Here’s the start-time for the Barcelona vs. Real Madrid el Clasico:

• USA: 10:15am ET / 9:15am ET CT / 8:15am MT / 7:15am PT
• Spain: 4:15pm local time
• UK: 3:15pm GMT

The start time is much earlier than usual. One reason is that both Real Madrid and Barcelona play in the UEFA Champions League next week, so they want as much time as possible to rest and recuperate before their midweek games. But the move by La Liga may also be to ensure that el Clasico is shown at night instead of the early morning hours in Asia. For example, the kickoff time converts to 11:15pm in Beijing, China.