The BBC, who struggled to even broadcast online audio commentary of the last World Cup, will be showing their coverage of this year's tournament online.
For the first time ever users in the UK will be able to access the broadband-only stream of the action from Germany in what seems to be a trend-setter for future events. Similarly, Wimbledon will be broadcast online and the BBC has revealed it has the broadband broadcast rights to the next two World Cup competitions.
The BBC Sport website will show all of the group games the BBC has the rights to broadcast, as well as England's quarter and semi-final games should they reach that stage.
BBC Head of Sport Roger Mosey blogged: "From Germany 2006 there'll be all the BBC games streamed live in video; every single match streamed in audio; and then video highlights on-demand, again for every game."
"We may not get all of this right, but our aim is that the BBC should be the most modern provider of content as well as the one with the strongest traditions," he said.
The decision is an interesting move from the BBC which holds the title as the world's biggest public service broadcaster. Despite UK users paying their licence fees to own a television tuner, more and more content is now online for which you don't strictly need a licence.
View: Roger Mosey's Blog Entry
For the first time ever users in the UK will be able to access the broadband-only stream of the action from Germany in what seems to be a trend-setter for future events. Similarly, Wimbledon will be broadcast online and the BBC has revealed it has the broadband broadcast rights to the next two World Cup competitions.
The BBC Sport website will show all of the group games the BBC has the rights to broadcast, as well as England's quarter and semi-final games should they reach that stage.
BBC Head of Sport Roger Mosey blogged: "From Germany 2006 there'll be all the BBC games streamed live in video; every single match streamed in audio; and then video highlights on-demand, again for every game."
"We may not get all of this right, but our aim is that the BBC should be the most modern provider of content as well as the one with the strongest traditions," he said.
The decision is an interesting move from the BBC which holds the title as the world's biggest public service broadcaster. Despite UK users paying their licence fees to own a television tuner, more and more content is now online for which you don't strictly need a licence.

However, they continually try to break new ground, and this should be applauded!
I detest having to pay a TV licence.
UK (sky and the bbc), France (tps and the other one), Italy (sky) and germany (premiere) will get the worldcup in HD. Spain will not, and I wrote to euro1080 and they said they weren't able to cut a deal with spanish wc rightholders.
So.. I'd love to be there in the UK and enjoy those things, lol.
They use GeoIP I think to check your IPs location.
Looks like I'll just have to work.
Also im not worried about online coverage i want HD to get sorted are they still pledging to broadcast the World cup in HD?
lol
4 years is a long time for technology, particularly the internet.
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