Audiences will be able to watch more matches from the early rounds of the FA Cup, Rugby League Challenge Cup, Women’s Super League Football, the British Basketball League, Wheelchair Tennis and many more.
This expanded online offer complements the BBC’s extensive TV and radio portfolio, which includes the Olympic Games to 2024, the Wimbledon Championships to 2024, the Football World Cup to 2022, Euro 2020 plus the 6 Nations and FA Cup to 2021.
Upto 1,000 extra hours of live sport could be available for audiences to watch online every year through BBC Sport and BBC iPlayer, with fans able to personalise the service to make sure they can watch all the live sport they love, whenever it’s on the BBC, across computers, mobiles, tablets and connected TVs.
Tony Hall, BBC Director-General, said: “This shows how we’re reinventing the BBC for a new generation.
“We’re giving people more of what they love by working in partnership with the sports industry and making the most of digital technology.”
The extra coverage has been made possible by low-cost streaming technology developed by the BBC. Since London 2012, the BBC has evolved how it streams live events – from Olympic Games and World Cups, to Glastonbury and national elections.
“The technology can now be used to cover hundreds more hours of live coverage, and a wider range of events, every single day.
Barbara Slater, Head of BBC Sport, said: “We’ve seen the nation get behind by a whole host of sports in recent years, especially at major events.
“We want to use BBC Sport’s live streaming service to showcase more of those moments that inspire people to take part. Put simply, it’s a huge expansion in the availability of free-to-air sport in the UK.”