But ITV Digital's troubles have also highlighted some serious flaws in the company's business model.
The churn, or disconnection rate, among ITV Digital subscribers is running at 23%, compared with just 12% at BSkyB.
So why has ITV Digital failed to live up to its early promise?
And around 1, 000 jobs were lost at a call centre in Pembroke Dock following the collapse of ITV digital.
Nor have the promised advertising revenues materialised, with ITV Digital's audience tending to fragment between the dozens of niche channels available.
And an advertising campaign, based around a TV-viewing monkey, has been a "real success", ITV Digital managing director Rob Fyfe said.
Third, like the ITV Digital palaver in the UK, Kirch's troubles represent the final reckoning for the economic exuberance of the 1990s.
Patchy reception in many areas has deterred subscribers, while frequent technical glitches in ITV Digital's set-top boxes has led many others to disconnect.
The 'solidarity package' will be paid over the next three years, and is the biggest sum handed to League clubs since the collapse of ITV Digital.
What is more "it's good news for Sky, because it makes the DTT (digital terrestrial) marketplace more coherent compared with ITV Digital", said WestLB analyst Simon Wallis.
Analysts say the entry into the market by BT represents a serious challenge, despite Sky's success in fighting off previous competition from the likes of ITV Digital, Setanta and ESPN.
Subscriber growth has been supported by a "real breakthrough" in the commercial market, with businesses including Center Parcs holiday centres and military retailer NAAFI switching from rival feeds to ITV Digital.
Granada and Carlton credited the revival in ITV Digital's fortunes largest to its rebranding, and the launch of the ITV Sport Channel, which attracted 138, 400 subscribers within seven weeks of going on air.
About 1, 000 workers lost their jobs at the ITV Digital call centre in Pembroke Dock while almost 1, 000 people are being laid off by the Dewhirst clothing company at their factories in Swansea, Cardigan and Fishguard.
She will be responsible for all Sky's "content" except sport, including a number of planned new channels: a second general entertainment channel to sit alongside Sky One, a version of the same channel to go on the new BBC-backed Freeview service which is to replace ITV Digital, and three new MTV-style music channels.
"An audience of almost 20 million is a phenomenal achievement for any channel in the modern digital age, " said Peter Fincham, ITV's director of television.
All five terrestrial channels - BBC One and Two, ITV, Channel Four and Channel Five - have made the shortlist as well as six digital or satellite channels.
The report urged industry regulator Ofcom to ensure ITV keeps providing its current level of programmes specifically for audiences in Wales until at least digital switchover is completed in 2012.
Achieving these cost savings, and a revival in the advertising market, could mean that ITV's earnings will head higher, even though the broadcaster lacks its competitors' strong digital presence.
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