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Shares in Carlton improved 2.63% to 254p and Granada rose 2.32% to 132.5p after it was revealed that they would be relieved of the responsibility of the business that has been eating up £1m a day.

It was announced last night that ITV Digital administrator Deloitte & Touche was to sell the troubled digital TV service, having failed to agree a deal with the Football League over the disputed £315m broadcast rights contract.

Deloitte & Touche, which took over the business on March 27, announced last night that it had failed to restructure the digital broadcaster's finances and that the business would be put up for sale as a going concern.

Deloitte is thought to be in talks with three possible buyers for the business. BSkyB is understood to have ruled itself out of the running, but no other details are available.

ITV Digital subscribers are expected to continue to receive a service during the sale process, but the brand name will disappear, as it will not be sold as part of the deal.

Carlton and Granada are thought to be looking for a quick sale of the business, one that will not include the £178m ITV Digital owes the Football League for two outstanding payments for the rights to televise league division football matches this year and next.

However, the league is determined to take the two companies to court for the £178m it is owed plus loss of earnings the league's 72 member football teams will suffer if their matches are not televised.

Meanwhile, Carlton and Granada received an added boost this morning when investment bank Goldman Sachs upgraded their ratings to reflect an improved performance at ITV.

Sachs raised Carlton's shares to "market outperformer" from "market performer" and hiked its 2002 and 2003 earnings before interest and tax by 39% and 10% respectively.

Granada was also raised to "market outperformer", as was Scottish Media Group, operator of the Scottish ITV franchises, which was unmoved at 144p this morning.

Sachs said that advertising at ITV had exceeded its expectations in the year to date and that it expects advertising growth to improve in the coming year for the broadcaster.

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