Clarets chairman Barry Kilby is hoping that the Football League will not bow to pressure from the television companies to re-negotiate the current deal to televise Nationwide football.

The suggestion has come as ITV Digital has continued to struggle to attract subscribers in the first year of their £315million deal with the League.

"The television money is a very big part of our income and the deal represents something like 40 per cent of our net revenue," he explained.

"That is a very big chunk and if it was to be reduced in any way it would be a very big blow to us.

"We have already budgeted for next year on the strength of the money we expect to get as we know we will not be relegated.

"I have got a feeling that this story has come about because the television companies want to negotiate a stance to reduce their commitments.

"The matter has been discussed at Football League meetings and, at the moment, the feeling is very much that a contract is a contract."

New deals for Glen Little and Arthur Gnohere and the recent £1million signing of Robbie Blake are just three bits of business that the Clarets have done with the current contract in mind.

"The basic deal means that we get £2.7million as of right and then whenever the cameras come to the ground we get another £60,000 for a home game and £10,000 as the away team," Kilby added. "In that way the revenue goes above the £3million mark."

Granada and Carlton Communications, who are the joint owners of ITV Digital, have admitted that the business needs urgent action to secure its future.

The pair said in a statement to the Stock Exchange this week that a "fundamental restructuring of ITV Digital's cost base must be concluded as a matter of urgency in order to secure the long-term future of the business".

ITV Digital's key contract is the one with the Football League, which is due to last until the summer of 2004, another two full seasons. Insiders at ITV insist a renegotiation of the deal represents the best long-term interests of Nationwide League clubs, with the possibility of losing the deal if ITV Digital is scrapped.

Or clubs will be forced to accept a far lower deal the next time the TV contract is up for renewal.

However League clubs, including Burnley, fear cash-strapped clubs which rely on TV revenue could be forced to the wall if they have to renegotiate.

Football League spokesman John Nagle has insisted they expect the contract to be honoured but would be willing to meet Granada and Carlton officials to discuss the situation.

He said: "We have an agreement and we expect them to honour that. If they want to come and see us then of course we would be happy to talk to them because they are a valued commercial partner."

Latest subscriber figures at ITV Digital - advertised with the help of a woolly monkey - showed growth of 46,000 in the quarter year to the end of December, bringing subscriber numbers to 1.3million.

Rival BSkyB's latest figures show subscriber numbers of 5.7million, up 218,000 in the last quarter.

On a separate issue, Kilby expressed surprise that his opposite number at Portsmouth, chairman Milan Mandaric, had held back his players' wages because of poor performances.

"I very much doubt that would hold up in court," he said.