BlackRock takes stake in Manchester United

NEW YORK (AP) - Investment firm BlackRock has taken a stake in Manchester United, one of the world's most famous soccer clubs.

In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission on Wednesday, New York-based BlackRock Inc. said it has acquired 3.3 million shares in Manchester United PLC. That gives it an 8 percent stake in the club's publicly traded stock.

The English soccer club went public on the New York Stock Exchange last August. The American family that owns the team, the Glazers, maintain control through Class B shares that have 10 times the voting power of the stock sold to the public.

Manchester United is one of the most renowned sports teams in the world and claims 659 million followers.

Its stock has risen about 35 percent in the past three months.