Customers at nine pubs across the UK and Ireland are set to be among the first football fans in the world to experience a live 3D sports television broadcast on 31 January.

Broadcasting company Sky has equipped pubs in London, Manchester, Edinburgh, Cardiff and Dublin with '3D Ready' sets to allow customers to watch Arsenal's Premier League match with Manchester United in 3D - the first fixture to be filmed and broadcast in the new format. Sky, which is launching Europe's first dedicated 3D television channel in April, expects to roll out the new concept to pubs across the UK later this year in order to reach more football fans.

Jeremy Darroch, Sky's chief executive, said: "3D is without doubt one of the most talked-about developments in television for many years. Sky has always innovated to bring customers the best possible viewing experience, so we fully intend to take the lead in bringing the spectacle of 3D to the UK and Ireland." Sky Sports' managing director, Barney Francis, added: "Sky Sports has a proud history of innovation, from the simple clock and scoreline in the comer of the screen through to high definition. It's fitting that we're pioneering this new, revolutionary development in broadcasting."