Football play-offs safe

ITV will honour their contract to show the play-offs

ITV will broadcast the Nationwide play-offs on its Sport channel following the collapse of the company's digital platform.

The channel will become free-to-air on Tuesday night to allow the matches to be shown on television as scheduled.

The First Division play-off final on 12 May will be screened live on ITV1.

The decision by ITV Digital's administrators to switch off the pay TV services had threatened the coverage.

But the latest development means the matches will now be available to a bigger audience.

  Remaining games

2 May: Millwall v Birmingham

6 May: Div Three final

11 May: Div Two final

12 May: Div One final

Football League head of communications John Nagle said: "The league is pleased that this will allow fans to see the remaining scheduled-for-broadcast play-off games live on TV.

"We believe this decision signifies an understanding by ITV and its shareholders of the importance and value of sport to television viewers."

Earlier on Tuesday, ITV Digital's administrators Deloitte and Touche announced it was to switch off all of the pay-to-view channels at midnight - that has since been revised to 0700 BST on Wednesday.

An ITV spokeswoman said: "ITV Sport will continue to broadcast. The channel is not in administration - the digital platform is.

"The matches should be available to NTL customers and possibly through a set-top box."

The Football League is owed nearly £180m for the remaining two years of its contract.

Disastrous

But Millwall chairman Theo Paphitis admitted he had been expecting the closure of the channel for a while.

"It certainly doesn't come as a surprise," he told BBC News 24.

"The only thing that surprised me is that they've lasted so long."

Paphitis, whose side are involved in the First Division play-offs, said the effects could be disastrous for the game.

"Any club that loses £3m from its budget is going to find it very, very difficult and a lot of First Division clubs are already losing money," he added.

 Clubs threaten to collapse en masse

"It's not a case of just being able to sell players any more unless you can sell to a Premier League club.

"No-one in the First Division is going to have any money to buy a player. So your assets are instantly devalued as well."