The move follows the Football League's threat yesterday to press ahead with plans to sue Carlton Communications and Granada for £500m after they continued to refuse to pay the remainder of a £315m deal for the rights to televise league matches.
However, the league has said it is willing to compromise if a deal can be done. A spokesman for the league, said: "No one is going to be foolish enough not to look to compromise if there is a deal to be made, and we are open to any offers, as long as they are sensible and reflect the contractual value we have with Carlton and Granada."
Carlton and Granada have so far stood up to the league, saying that they are not liable for ITV Digital's failure to pay the outstanding £178m because they had never signed a long-form contract -- the part of the deal that outlines the responsibilities of Carlton and Granada as parent of ITV Digital.
The league has accused Carlton and Granada of deliberately avoiding signing the long-term contract, so that they could not be held responsible for ITV Digital's commitments.
An ITV Digital spokesman said: "We are pleased that the Football League has agreed to negotiate over the terms of its contract with ITV Digital. We look forward to dialogue with the league in order to find a workable solution for both sides."
Yesterday, at a meeting between the league and the chairmen of first division clubs in London, Football League chief executive David Burns said that the organisation had "reasonable belief" that Carlton and Granada had decided to close ITV Digital, and avoid paying the league its money, as early as October 2001.
Carlton and Granada have so far offered the league £50m for the remaining two years of the contract, a £128m reduction on the original contract.
The league, meanwhile, has said it will accept £89.5m in August and a further £89.5m in August 2003, as agreed in the original terms of the deal.
Yesterday, it was reported that Carlton and Granada would honour a £20m deal with the Premier League for the pay-per-view rights to Premiership matches, despite reneging on the deal with the Football League.
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