Premium television broadcaster Setanta will not be showing any live Premier League games next season after losing the rights they owned.

The cash-strapped sports media company have failed to make a £30million payment they owned to the Premier League and so have lost the 46 matches they were due to televise live in the 2009/10 season.

The Premier League will now put the packages that Setanta has lost up for auction, with Sky Sports likely favourites to buy 23 of the 46 games. Legally Sky can only buy half of what’s been left by Setanta.

A Premier League spokesman confirmed, “It is with considerable regret that we announce that Setanta has been unable to meet their obligations. As such the existing licence agreement between us has been terminated with immediate effect.”

Setanta also run Liverpool’s official TV channel, ‘˜LFCTV’ though this is expected to be unaffected to Liverpool fans.