JD Wetherspoon is considering showing televised football in its pubs in a marked shift in business ethos.

The chain made its name by serving cheap beer, banning juke boxes and having dedicated no-smoking areas.

The group considering showing live matches represents a departure from that approach.

The group said it may gradually introduce TVs in its 633 outlets in view of the growing popularity of televised soccer among customers.

Wetherspoon has been trialling televisions in selected outlets across the country during the current football season and said the experiment had been broadly welcomed.

John Hutson, managing director, said the group had not made any final decision. The Euro 2004 football championships this summer would probably come too early to influence any long-term policy, he said.

But if televisions were introduced, the group would be careful to ensure they did not change the overall atmosphere of pubs, possibly through initiatives such as designated TV areas, Mr Hutson said.

"I think it is something that is more likely to evolve," he said.

In its interim results for the six months to January 25, the group said previous international football tournaments had sometimes caused a short-term dip in sales, but with no long-term implications.

The group said pre-tax profits before one-off items rose nine per cent to £27.8m.

The group, which employs about 17,000 people in the UK, plans to open about 30 pubs a year for the next few years, with eight already opened this financial year.