Television network MTV announced on Monday an online video-on-demand service that will allow viewers to watch music videos, comedy shows, news and film trailers in Europe.

The new internet "channel" called MTV Overdrive, will be one of the first full online television services in the UK.

It will be available in Britain and Ireland from Sunday before being released other European countries in the following months.

Viewers will be able to create their own playlist of shows that will automatically update every week.

Angel Gambino, vice President of Commercial Strategy and digital media MTV Networks UK, said: "Our viewers are early adopters of new technologies and we know, through the take-up of our online, mobile and wap services that they are keen to receive MTV content across all the screens they use ? PC, TV and mobile phone."

MTV Overdrive will launch its online entertainment gateway to coincide with the television premiere of Pimp My Ride UK, series 2.

The free-to-air service launched in April 2005 in the U.S., followed by the September launch of a customised service for Latin America called MTV Revolution.

Viewers will also be able to buy tracks they have heard on the site through a digital music store.