Former Hearts attacker Ryan Stevenson has blasted Sky Sports after the broadcasters snubbed this weekend's Edinburgh Derby.

The first Hearts vs Hibs clash of the season is set to take place this Saturday at 3pm at Tynecastle, but it will not be shown live on TV.

Instead, Sky have opted to show St Mirren vs Rangers on Sunday to fill their slot after snubbing all of the Premiership matches last weekend.

This is now the fourth time the broadcasters have decided against showing one of Scotland's biggest fixtures, after snubbing the previous three Premiership meetings.

Tynecastle hero Stevenson insists it is simply unacceptable. He told the Daily Record: "It's the second biggest club fixture in Scottish football and the one that means the most to the people of our capital city. Every seat filled by nearly 20,000 of the most passionate fans in the country, piled high, right on top of the pitch, to create an atmosphere hard to match in any venue in the UK.

"And, importantly, thousands of away supporters allowed in to create the energy and hostility any city rivalry thrives upon. Two teams on a high - one with a new manager, the other on a good run of form. It's all there, Hearts versus Hibs at Tynecastle. And if you aren't lucky enough to get a ticket, at least it's on the telly, eh? Except it isn't.

"And that is bonkers. This clash is one of Scottish football's showpiece matches, a chance for the SPFL to show the world the vibrancy and passion of our game, which are among the main, unique selling points.

"Yet - and not for the first time - Sky have chosen to ignore it as one of the live broadcasts on a weekend when they've decided St Mirren against Rangers is a better match to show.

"Now, with the crisis at Ibrox, there's an argument that there will be massive interest in that Paisley clash. But that's not the point. The decision to ignore the Edinburgh derby was made long before that and it's a shocker."