Chelsea announce YouTube content deal

LONDON, Feb 16 (Reuters) English soccer champions Chelsea have signed a deal to show archive footage and daily news on the popular video-sharing site YouTube, becoming the first Premier League club to do so.

Under the deal, Chelsea will have a branded channel on the site, www.youtube.com/chelseafc, showing daily updates and other content.

It will not show live footage due to restrictions under Premier League rules.

''We are delighted to work with YouTube,'' Chelsea Chief Executive Peter Kenyon said in a statement on Friday. ''Chelsea is the first football club to move into what is clearly one of the fastest growing new media platforms.

''This will allow us to ... reach a whole new audience.'' YouTube, which is owned by Google Inc., has been under pressure recently from content owners such as Viacom Inc., which owns MTV Network, to remove videos illegally posted by users.

However it has also signed deals with media giants such as Warner Music Group to offer their content.

A spokesman for the Premier League said they had been in talks with YouTube about removing illegal clips that are currently on the site.

The deal also highlights Chelsea's ambition to become the world's biggest club. It has recently launched a Mandarin Web site as part of its push to tap fast-growing Asian markets.

REUTERS KR BD2310