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ITV is thinking of selling its holdings in Arsenal and Liverpool. A decision will be taken following the completion of a £30m share deal that will see its Arsenal holding rise from 5 per cent to almost 10 per cent. Under a deal made four years ago ITV is to increase its stake in Arsenal in the first quarter of the year because of the impending move to Ashburton Grove. The stake in Arsenal and a near 10 per cent holding in Liverpool are estimated to be worth £40m to £50m. ITV is believed to want to exit if it can find a buyer at the right price. The stakes and options were acquired by Granada, now merged into ITV, at the height of the dotcom boom when broadcasters were seeking rights to football coverage on the internet. BSkyB has already got rid of most of its football club holdings. Last year, the company sold its 10 per cent stakes in both Chelsea and Manchester United, followed by the sale of its Sunderland stake.
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