Ask any Celtic and Rangers fan, and they will tell you that no game on the footballing planet touches their rivalry.
During the next fortnight, everyone will get two tastes of the Glasgow derby, starting with the Premiership showdown on Sunday, and then the Scottish Cup tie the following week, both at Ibrox.
But Chris Sutton was in a fit of laughter when it was suggested to him that the rivalry between Hearts and Hibernian is now ‘bigger.’
Given Hearts’ title charge this season, and the fact that Hibs beat Celtic at the weekend, Robbie Savage, somehow, thinks that now equates to the Edinburgh derby being ‘bigger.’
Should Martin O’Neill field a rotated side vs Stuttgart to focus on the Rangers game?
What would you do?
Chris Sutton laughs at the suggestion that Hearts vs Hibernian is bigger than Celtic vs Rangers
Perhaps Savage needs to be educated about the Glasgow derby because, as Sutton put it, it’s probably ‘the biggest game in the world.’
But when Savage put forward the suggestion of Hearts and Hibernian on 606 on BBC Radio 5 Live, Sutton didn’t even dignify it with an answer, other than just laughing.
Celtic fan: “It’s the biggest game in Scotland on Sunday.”
Chris Sutton: “It’s probably the biggest game in the world. That derby, the intensity.”
Robbie Savage: “Is Hearts-Hibs bigger right now? Hibs just beat Celtic, and Hearts are top of the league.
“So, right now, you could argue that Hearts-Hibs is bigger than Rangers-Celtic.”
Sutton started to laugh: “Do you…”
The Global reach of the Glasgow derby compared to the Edinburgh derby
Any sane fan would tell you that the Glasgow derby, from whatever era, dwarfs whatever those in Edinburgh can put on the table.
Celtic and Rangers have a global reach, while Hearts and Hibernian are just big clubs in Scotland.
The SPFL Annual Reports & Governance reports that there is a ‘Global Reach’ for the Glasgow derby, and it’s broadcast to 150 countries, with a potential reach of 120+ million households.
Compared to Hearts and Hibs, they reach around 5-10 million households, and it is also broadcast to ’10–15 primary international markets’ worldwide, compared to ‘150+ territories for the Glasgow Derby.’
- UK Live Viewers of Hearts v Hibernian: 250,000-450,000
- UK Live viewers of Celtic v Rangers: 1 million – 1.5 million
- Global Live Viewers of Hearts v Hibernian: 500,000
- Global Live Viewers of Celtic v Rangers: 1.5 million – 4 million
- Global Potential Reach of Hearts v Hibernian: 10 million homes
- Global Potential Reach of Celtic v Rangers: 120+ million homes
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