TopTV: 'Contract to broadcast MUTV has been terminated with immediate effect' as Manchester United TV is yanked off without warning.

This just in from TopTV now issuing a statement on the sudden disappearance of yet another TV channel from the On Digital Media pay-TV operator: "The contract to broadcast MUTV (Manchester United TV) on its platform has been terminated with immediate effect."

"TopTV extends an apology to its subscribers for this inconvenience," says the operator, currently in business rescue.

"The recent addition of Setanta Action, an action sports channel, is fast gaining popularity among TopTV subscribers. This complements the other sports channels on TopTV that include: Setanta Africa, a general sports channel that broadcasts various European soccer leagues among others; Fuel TV that focuses on extreme sports; and Eurosport News".

TopTV didn't give reasons as to why MUTV was yanked, but it comes exactly two years after MUTV was added in November 2010. According to TopTV the contract was terminated by the channel, MUTV.

With MUTV being cut as well as 1KZN (which is leaving TopTV for DStv), it once again shows not just TopTV's inability to attact and secure sports content, but also how the pay-TV platform is not really expanding and growing its overall channel selection.

In essence TopTV only adds channels to replace lost channels - basically a stopgap measure. With MUTV gone, Setanta Action only essentially replaces MUTV since subscribers are not getting more channels - it's just one new channel for one now-gone channel.