Fans trial first live 3D sports event | Northern Rivers TV Guide | Northern Rivers Television, Australia

AAP

BRITISH pub-goers have become the first public audiences to witness a live sports event broadcast in 3-D when watching Manchester United beat Arsenal 3-1 in the Premier League.

Nine pubs across Britain were equipped to screen the first 3-D transmission by Sky Sports on Sunday.

Previous trials have been limited to closed-circuit broadcasts in Britain and the United States, but BSkyB transmitted the Premier League match via regular satellite decoder boxes.

"People now feel they can now sit in their own homes and view things in a way they could only do if they came to the stadium themselves," said Sky Sports director of operations Darren Long.

David Wubelski, a 71-year-old Arsenal fan, had no problems donning the special glasses, but questioned some aspects of the feed.

"The close-ups are fantastic but the wide angle is not quite so impressive," Wubelski said at the Railway Tavern pub in central London.

Sky's technology team, which has been developing 3-D systems for two years, sought help from "Avatar" director James Cameron.

BSkyB is controlled by Rupert Murdoch's News Corp., which holds a 39 per cent stake.