BBC iPlayer to serve Wimbledon

The BBC has agreed a new deal with the All England Club that secures coverage of the Wimbledon Tennis Championships for a further five years from 2010 to 2014. The significance of the BBC’s new media offerings has again become apparent as like the Formula 1 contract announced a few days ago coverage would also be available to download from the iPlayer.

“The BBC is deeply proud of its historic ties with Wimbledon, but this new agreement is focused on delivering state-of-the-art digital services,” Roger Mosey, BBC Director of Sport. “The BBC’s Wimbledon coverage will range from high-definition transmissions from the show courts and greater choice of live action than ever before, through to on-demand highlights that you can watch on your PC or mobile.”

Since the BBC began coverage of Wimbledon in 1927 the Championships have seen a series of innovations. In 1967 the then BBC2 controller David Attenborough put colour cameras onto the courts for the first time. More recently it became the focus of the multiscreen option for Red Button users, even though Sky had already deployed the technology, and in 2006 high definition cameras were deployed.