Setanta slides into administration

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The Ireland-based firm, which has been hit by the loss of football TV rights in England and Scotland, went off-air to viewers in Britain just before 6pm on Tuesday, said administrator Deloitte.

Viewers were met with a message saying that the firm had "ceased trading in Great Britain".

The wind-down of Setanta's British business, which has 420 staff, will mean at least 200 job losses, it said.

Setanta's international and Ireland businesses continue to trade while talks with possible buyers are under way, said Deloitte.

Setanta, which has 1.2 million subscribers, has suspended the collection of subscription payments from customers in the UK.

Administrator Neville Kahn said: "After a huge effort by the Setanta board, management team and its backers, it has not been possible to save the GB business, which will be wound down in due course."

The move came just 24 hours after the Premier League handed Setanta's football rights - containing 46 matches for the 2009/10 season and 23 matches per season from 2010/11 to 2012/13 - to US broadcaster ESPN.

News of the Premier League's sale followed an announcement on Monday by the Scottish Premier League that it was ditching Setanta and looking for another television partner.

Setanta missed a £3 million payment to the SPL. It was unable to pay the Premier League £10 million following the collapse of a potential rescue deal with US tycoon Len Blavatnik's Access Industries.