Hundreds of thousands of ITV Digital subscribers will lose most of their service this morning as the stricken broadcaster's pay channels go off the screen.

And more than 1,000 jobs were also put at risk after administrators Deloitte & Touche decided to pull the plug on ITV Digital's pay television services, leaving subscribers with only free-to-air channels, such as BBC4.

The pay TV service - which includes MTV and UK Gold and various film channels - will have gone off air at 7am.

ITV Sport became a free-to-air service last night, meaning the remaining Nationwide League play-off matches will be shown on television as scheduled.

At ITV Digital's Battersea operation in London, 225 people were sacked out of a total of 275, while 500 call centre workers in Plymouth were also facing the axe.

Deloitte & Touche said it had no immediate plans to shut the centre, but it is understood there will be job losses over the next few weeks.

In Pembroke, South Wales, 900 workers who are contracted to ITV Digital through employment firm Manpower were last night waiting to hear their fate.

Manpower held meetings at the centre yesterday and said it would do all it could to help people find other jobs.

Deloitte & Touche said it regretted cutting the service but added: "Unfortunately there is no appetite in the market for a preservation of the business as a going concern."

The Independent Television Commission is currently seeking a new operator for the licences ITV Digital operated.

Applicants will have up to two weeks to throw their hats in, and then another fortnight to draw up and submit their plans.

The ITC, which wants to act quickly "in the interest of viewers", will then assess the applications and an announcement is expected on June 12.

The decision by ITV Digital's administrators to pull the plug on the pay TV services had threatened the Nationwide League play-off coverage, but the re-designation not only means the matches will be screened, but will now be available to a bigger audience.

ITV Digital was put into administration in March after failing to reach settlement with the Football League over outstanding payments on a £315m deal to show matches.

Several League clubs could be threatened with closure if they do not receive the money they were promised under the original contract.

Media lawyer Mark Stephens said the League should have struck a deal when it had the chance.

"They waged a vicious PR battle, the much vaunted legal action hasn't materialised - and nor will it - and the £75m it was offered is no longer on the table," Mr Stephens said