The Football League is believed to be prepared to accept between £100m and £75m -- still well below the £178m it is owed. Last week, ITV Digital's offer was upped to £60m from £50m, which it had steadfastly maintained was the maximum it could afford to pay for the two years' TV rights.
The league is threatening to reveal details of documents written by Carlton and Granada, as it seeks to find out how much executives knew about the bidding process for the rights that took place in 2000.
It has also been reported that Channel 5 and the BBC are interested in buying up ITV Digital's sports rights, including those for Football League play-offs and the Worthington Cup final.
Channel 5 is reported to be interested in picking up the rights to the Nationwide League and also next year's Rugby World Cup.
BSkyB is thought to be in the running to get hold of ITV Digital's subscriber list and call centre, if the business is liquidated.
ITV Digital is currently in administration. It was originally thought that it could slide into receivership as early as today. However, this could be extended if Granada and Carlton provide further funds. The company's administrator, Deloitte & Touche, could then decide whether to sell key ITV Digital assets piecemeal or to liquidate.
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