Granada bets £20m on Liverpool FC

Granada Media has invested £20m in a joint venture with Liverpool FC which will enable the company to broadcast coverage of matches on digital TV, the internet and WAP-enabled mobile phones.

The broadcast deal is part of a service which will include providing worldwide access to Liverpool FC merchandise, online betting facilities and an expansion of the club's current website, Liverpoolfc.net.

The broadband service will be available in the UK within 18 months with Granada planning a long-term move into hotbeds of support in Scandinavia and the Far East.

Steve Morrison, chief executive of Granada Media, said: "The commercial service will be tailored to the appetite of each territory. So in the UK, merchandising might be big, while in the Far East, gambling might be very big."

Granada's move is likely to be a catalyst for similar services being launched in the near future.

Vodafone and Sports.com have both invested heavily in sponsoring Manchester United and NTL has signed sponsorship deals with Aston Villa, Newcastle United and Glasgow Celtic as well as buying a 10 per cent stake in Glasgow Rangers.

Morrison added: "I would not preclude trying to do something similar with other football clubs, but they would have to have the same range that Liverpool have."

Liverpool have an estimated 2.5 million fans in the UK and 10 million worldwide.