http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6538973.ece Sent packing by the PL and by the Russian investor.

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/sport/football/article6538973.ece Sent packing by the PL and by the Russian investor.

The future must be incredibly bleak for Setanta now.

I imagine people will be cancelling their subscriptions in their droves.

Two packages of 26 PL games are up for auction now for next season, and I suppose one package of 26 games for the following four seasons.

Sky will probably snap up the one remaining package they are allowed to for next season, but who will go for the other package of 26 for this coming season?

ESPN has been mentioned, but would they be willing to invest the amount of money that's being mentioned for just one PL game a week? I'm not so sure. You never know, we might start getting one game a week on terrestrial television here, if we're lucky.

Wonder where it leaves ITV with the FA Cup and England games as Sky will surely pick up the Setanta parts of that contract but they seem to prefer tie ins with the BBC rather than another commercial station.

Racing UK will no doubt go it alone as a single subscription station (though they have indicated the cost per month is likely to be higher than Setanta's combined package price so their future may not be too rosy either).

I'm not so sure Sky are too fussed who they are tied in with. Rugby Union's Premiership, Football League, Carling Cups and in the past ITV and Sky have shared coverage of the FA Cup, England matches and Premiership games have also been shared between the two.

I don't see RUK being able to continue as a stand alone subscription chanel. It's been tried before and not worked.

Hopefully ESPN America will have a solo subscription once Setanta goes down the toilet

Sky can't take both packages that are on offer.

Indeed but is there anyone else who will pay the asking price??? If no one does do they sell it to terestrial TV at a cut price???? I'm sure 5 would love to pick it up but not at the current asking price.

I was wondering about that.Will ESPNA just take over the subscription or will I have to re-order.

I'm guessing you will need to pay directly to ESPN/Racing UK/Chelsea TV or whoever's channel you choose to have as at the minute it just goes to Setanta and I guess they pay the others a set figure to host their services as part of the complete package.

Racing UK are saying they will need to go free to air for a while if Setanta go bust and I guess ESPN would need to too whilst they set up the systems to take subscriptions directly.

ESPN have bought the PL rights apparently. Will they want the SPL as well?

I've put in a bid of £4.