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BBC Pledge to Show World Cup Games Online

Timmah   on 02 June 2006 - 11:37 · 15 comments & 21879 views

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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

Post a comment · Send to friend Comments · There are 15 additional comments
(2 replies) #1 njlouch on 02 Jun 2006 - 11:52
I'm not sure how keen I am on how the BBC is funded, especially as some of that money goes towards projects that are also available to others who don't pay the funding...

However, they continually try to break new ground, and this should be applauded!
#1.1 leesmithg on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:35
Like paying criminals and football cheats to air their stories?

I detest having to pay a TV licence.
#1.2 Julius Caro on 02 Jun 2006 - 14:22
At least BBC has internet broadcastings, is doing HD tests and stuff. Here in spain, public TV is in a crisis and other channels are cat-fighting for the worldcup broadcasting rights. Euro1080 apparently wanted to reach agreements with local WC rightholders, to provide with HD broadcasts of the WC.

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.
(1 reply) #2 camsoft on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:16
The online footage will unlikely be available for anyone outside the UK.
They use GeoIP I think to check your IPs location.
#2.1 Slugsie on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:42
Whish is just great. I'm in the UK, pay a license fee, but work for an American company. My IP is registered as American.

Looks like I'll just have to work.
#3 untouchablez-2004 on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:31
nice one BBC!
#4 Banzai on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:38
that’s great, bbc But im sure there be up on torrent sites at a better quality quicker then you can get the highlights up.

Also im not worried about online coverage i want HD to get sorted are they still pledging to broadcast the World cup in HD?
(1 reply) #5 Slugsie on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:43
Torrents of live streamed coverage? Nice trick.
#5.1 McG on 02 Jun 2006 - 12:49
Quote - Slugsie said @ #4.1
Torrents of live streamed coverage? Nice trick.

lol
(1 reply) #6 mikey on 02 Jun 2006 - 13:14
Dont worry, local pubs all have sky
#6.1 domgrimm on 02 Jun 2006 - 15:19
Exactly! I don't even like soccer, but I'm still going out with mates to my local to watch a couple of world cup matches.
#7 beardly on 02 Jun 2006 - 13:57
Too bad it is just for UK. Granted all the games will be in HD here in the states which is good. Unfortunently ESPN2 is not carried in HD in a lot of areas. I need to make sure I clear out my DVR before next friday.
#8 alexp2_ad on 02 Jun 2006 - 16:25
Good work BBC!

Quote -
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.

4 years is a long time for technology, particularly the internet.
#9 vetSMeK on 02 Jun 2006 - 18:09
Good thinking of them, altho i suspect a load of work internet connections will get very stressed out during the world cup
#10 Scorcho on 03 Jun 2006 - 15:05
if this is limited to purely UK users, i can't see how BBC can muck it up - especially since CBS successfully hosted live video streaming of March Madness free for two straight weeks in the USA.

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