IF York City don't get promotion this season there will be a financial silver lining for the Minstermen.

Conference football is set to be given the star treatment from next season after the signing of a big-money television deal with Setanta Sports.

At least 79 Conference games a year will be broadcast nationwide for the next five years in a bid to put English football's fifth tier in the shop window.

The full details of the deal have yet to be finalised but the five-year arrangement is thought to be worth £2.8million to the Conference.

That works out at just over £23,000 per club per year if split equally - or a little more than £7,000 a game.

Sky Sports currently split their matchday payments 5-3 with home clubs netting £5,000 and away teams £3,000.

Despite the new deal, the Sky Sports contract with the Conference will still remain in place offering a double boost to clubs.

The 79 matches broadcast by the Irish sports giants will be made up of league fixtures, play-offs and the reborn Conference Cup - which will be renamed the Setanta Sports Cup.

It will also see the beginning of televised Thursday night football at Conference level with a match every week - plus another over the next four days.

York City communications and community director, Sophie McGill said: "The new television deal with Setanta sounds very promising and of course we welcome the possibility of extra income into the football club.

"At present we have not yet received the full details from the Conference, but we are encouraged by the initial news.

"Anyone who was present at our game against Burton Albion will know Conference football provides great entertainment.

"Increased television coverage should help enhance the profile of the club and may assist in the widening of our fan-base."

Only matches from the Conference National will be given the live treatment - but Conference North and South clubs will be featured in weekly round-up shows meaning teams like Harrogate Town and Scarborough would also get a share of the limelight.

The Setanta Sports Cup will kick-off with a regional format before expanding across the nation in a similar fashion to its most recent incarnation as the Gladwish Land Sales Cup.

The Irish broadcaster is building up an impressive portfolio with exclusive Scottish Premier League rights its current biggest draw.

It has also just signed a deal to screen 46 Barclays Premier League matches next season, along with Serie A' coverage of Italy's top teams.

The Setanta sports package, which also incorporates Celtic TV and Rangers TV, is available to existing Sky customers for £15 a month.

Trevor East, Setanta Sports Director of Sport, has also moved quickly to point out the differences between this deal and that previously negotiated by ITV Digital with the Football League which led to disastrous financial implications for many clubs when it could not be fulfilled.

He said: "Setanta is a long-established company - 14 years in broadcasting, with channels in the UK, Ireland, North America and Australia.

"As far as the UK is concerned, the big problem ITV Digital had was that subscribers needed to buy a different box to receive their output.

"Setanta Sports is already well-established on the Sky platform and on cable with our bundle of eight channels.

"ITV Digital also based its entire offering around the Football League whereas the Conference will be joining a comprehensive range of live football coverage, US PGA Tour golf and racing."