Sports broadcaster Setanta has stopped accepting subscriptions from new customers as it tries to avoid being placed into administration.
In a statement placed on its website today the company said “in the current circumstances, we have decided to temporarily suspend the acceptance of new subscriptions”.
Customers who tried to take a subscription yesterday had been met with the message: “Oops! Something has gone wrong”.
It was reported this morning that the company’s board of directors is considering a number of options to rescue the group.
Its founders - Irishmen Michael O’Rourke and Leonard Ryan, and a group of investors led by Goldman Sachs are trying to put together a £40 million rescue package.
Setanta’s business model has been under pressure since it lost one of its two live rights packages to English Premier League soccer to rival BSkyB in February.
As a consequence it will only be able to broadcast 23 live Premier League, half the current level, for the three-years from August 2010.
Last week the company failed to make a £3 million payment to the Scottish Premier League.
Setanta employs about 430 staff, 200 of which are based in Ireland.