MUMBAI: UK-based bookmaker firm William Hill is set to launch a branded interactive television betting channel on the Sky Digital platform.

The launch will take place later this year.

The channel will allow William Hill customers to place bets and play games directly via their television. The channel will also air live sports events and provide editorial sports content. The initiative is expected to give William Hill access to the growing Sky Digital platform. The platform currently covers seven million homes in the UK.

William Hill chief executive David Harding is quoted in media reports as saying the initiative would place William Hill at the forefront of the UK betting industry in exploiting interactive television, which is gaining growing acceptance as a transactional platform.