Some clubs will go bust if satellite broadcaster Setanta does not resolve its financial problems, a Scottish Premier League chairman has warned.
The broadcaster failed to make a £3m payment to the league on Monday, fuelling fears over the Irish pay-TV company's long-term future.
The chairman, who does not wish to be named, told BBC Scotland that the SPL was preparing for the worst.
Neither the SPL or Setanta has commented on the issue.
Setanta wants to renegotiate a number of their contracts to screen sporting events due to cash-flow problems.
The current deal to broadcast Scottish Premier League games ends next season, but just last year the company agreed to pay a vastly improved £125m over four seasons for exclusive live coverage from 2010.
However, the broadcaster, which won the rights to broadcast the SPL from the BBC in 2004, is now seeking to pay less to Scotland's top flight.
St Mirren general manager Brian Caldwell feels his club would be able to cope with any financial shortfall, but warned players from some clubs may have to go without their end-of-season bonuses..
"We're probably best placed to survive if there is any problem with the TV money," he said.
"That has put us in a fortunate position but obviously even we would rather have that money than not have it.
"However, other clubs would have been relying on that payment in order to take care of their end-of-season bonuses for players.
"It would have been built into their cash-flow for this period."
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