Hardest hit will be clubs like Swindon Town and Bury who are already in crisis followed by teams such as the Cobblers who are struggling to make ends meet and are still under a transfer embargo due to recieving PFA handouts. It was predicted only this week that as many as 30 clubs could face financial ruin if the money from ITV Digital fails to materialise.
Deloitte & Touche partners are to be appointed as administrators to the company that took the contract when they were known as ON Digital. Carlton and Granada who own ITV Digital have ploughed in £800 million already to the failed firm but have blamed a downturn in advertising due to lower than expected viewing figures for the poor performance over the past year.
Granada and Carlton have threatened to pull the plug on the channel for good if they cannot cut costs. It is believed the Football League are to sue the owners to recover the money due on the contract.