BBC to broadcast World Cup games live on broadband in the UK

Can't get to a TV when the World Cup is on, BBC has got you covered

1 June 2006 18:59 GMT / By Stuart Miles

If you can't get to a TV for the World Cup, the BBC has announced today that it will be allowing internet users in the UK to watch all the games online.

The corporation has announced that all of the BBC's TV games will be live and free-to-air with online viewers able to access the games at bbc.co.uk/worldcup and bbc.co.uk/sport - viewing of these matches will be restricted to those that live in the UK.

The BBC will also have the exclusive rights to England's second round and quarter-final games should they reach that stage.

Furthermore, the BBC has non-exclusive rights to short highlights from every 2006 World Cup game. There will be four-minute clips from all of the 64 matches available on-demand whenever users want to view them.

For the BBC's matches viewers will be able to stream the same coverage as will appear on terrestrial television. This stream will also feature the same commentary as on TV.

Director of Sport Roger Mosey said: "You can watch the World Cup from the BBC at home on TV – or listen in the car on your radio – and now also see full live coverage on your PC.

"We know a lot of online viewing is done in the office, so we suspect this will allow people both to do their job and to keep up with the very latest action from Germany."

The BBC has successfully broadcast football over the internet before, but this is by far its biggest-ever single commitment.

This latest deal follows this week's announcement that the BBC will provide UK broadband users with access to five courts of live tennis action during the 2006 Wimbledon Championships.

The BBC also announced that it already has the broadband rights to the 2010 and 2014 World Cups.

The full list of first-stage group games available online on the BBC (all kick-off times are BST) are:

Friday 9 June
Germany v Costa Rica, 5.00pm

Saturday 10 June
England v Paraguay, 2.00pm

Sunday 11 June
Serbia & Montenegro v Netherlands, 2.00pm
Mexico v Iran, 5.00pm

Monday 12 June
USA v Czech Republic, 5.00pm
Italy v Ghana, 8.00pm

Tuesday 13 June
South Korea v Togo, 2.00pm
France v Switzerland, 5.00pm
Brazil v Croatia, 8.00pm

Wednesday 14 June
Germany v Poland, 8.00pm

Friday 16 June
Argentina v Serbia & Montenegro, 2.00pm

Saturday 17 June
Portugal v Iran, 2.00pm

Sunday 18 June
France v South Korea, 8.00pm

Monday 19 June
Togo v Switzerland, 2.00pm
Spain v Tunisia, 8.00pm

Thursday 22 June
Czech Republic v Italy, 3.00pm
Ghana v USA, 3.00pm
Japan v Brazil, 8.00pm
Croatia v Australia, 8.00pm

Friday 23 June
Ukraine v Tunisia, 3.00pm
Saudi Arabia v Spain, 3.00pm
Togo v France, 8.00pm
Switzerland v S Korea, 8.00pm