This is an important advance for ITV and the next step in the extension of the brand across all platforms.

Stuart Prebble Chief Executive of ITV

ITV claims that its online content generates about 25 million page impressions per month.

First stage

ITV Interactive's first major step will be to launch ITV.com in tandem with the announcement of the ITV autumn schedule.

Stuart Prebble, Chief Executive of ITV, said: "This is an important advance for ITV and the next step in the extension of the brand across all platforms.

"The ability to unlock the full potential of content across all digital media is key to the future of commercial broadcasting and this development will fuel ITV's continued evolution as a market leading entertainment brand."

New sites

Several new programme-related websites are in development for autumn including Soapstars, Pop Idol and new drama Night and Day.

ITV2: launching interactive version of Who Wants to Be a Millionaire in Autumn

Digital channel ITV2 is launching an interactive version of Who Wants to be a Millionaire in the autumn.

The interactive version will be broadcast simultaneously with the terrestrial transmission on ITV1, allowing viewers to play at home.

The company has already announced that television channel ITV is to become ITV1 as part of a re-branding operation.

Digital platform ONdigital was rebranded as ITV digital on 11 July following disappointing subscription figures for the service.

Last month media analysts predicted that ITV was heading for its worst slump in advertising revenues since the company started broadcasting.

The BBC is also planning to rebrand its digital channels BBC Choice and BBC Knowledge as BBC Three and BBC Four but is waiting on approval from the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.