BBC Gains Wimbledon Broadcast Rights

LONDON, March 27: BBC
Sport has reached a new contract with the All England Club that grants the
British pubcaster the rights to air the Wimbledon Championship tennis
tournament for a further five years from 2010 to 2014.

BBC Sport will provide
viewers with access to the tournament across all platforms, including
broadband. For the first time, people will be able to catch all the key matches
via BBC iPlayer for up to seven days after broadcast, and have the opportunity
to watch Wimbledon on mobile. British viewers tuning in via broadband will
continue to be able to see all the action broadcast on television, including
additional behind-the-scenes coverage.

This new agreement also
confirmed that, for the duration of the contract, coverage on Centre and Number
One Courts will be provided in HD as part of the BBC HD channel. Through the
new contract, the BBC has also secured radio rights on BBC Radio 5 Live.

Roger Mosey, BBC’s
director of sport, said: "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. 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. We're determined to make the event an even bigger part of
our national sporting life through the use of new technology and working with
the Club to innovate across digital platforms."

Added Ian Ritchie, the
chief executive of the All England Club: "Wimbledon is all about a unique
blend of tradition and innovation. Our lengthy partnership with the BBC, which
started in 1927, has been highly successful and we are delighted to extend that
association up to 2014. Like the BBC, we are always looking to bring The
Championships to a wider audience at the same time as improving the overall
quality of the coverage. Through the latest digital technology Wimbledon fans
can choose to stay in touch with all the drama and action in a way that suits
them best."

—By Irene Lew