Major free football coverage upgrade comes to iPlayer as BBC matches up with Sky
Many people are turning to streaming, especially when out and about - but there is a major downside to it.
And that's the delay.
For most programmes we watch on TV, such as soaps or the latest dramas, a slight delay isn't an issue.
But when it comes to sport, every second matters - and the last thing you want to hear is the local pub roaring at a goal, or a friend texting you about a result, before you've seen it.
Sky has been making significant progress on addressing this for its streamed TV products like Sky Glass, bringing the delay down to 22 seconds.
With Freeview 's streamed successor Freely other broadcasters will have to think about how they can address the problem on their channels.
Fortunately, it's an issue the BBC is now tackling on iPlayer.
The corporation has started a test for some viewers, depending on the device they're streaming from.
"The delay on iPlayer has reduced significantly in recent times but is still around 40 seconds," the BBC explained in a blog post.
"Many streaming services today have similar delays. On our broadcast services the end to end delay is just 8-10 seconds - a significant difference.
"For some content, viewers may not notice, but for live sport and for live events with a social media following, delays can detract from the viewing experience.
Wimbledon clash suspended with fuming Ben star Ben Shelton about to serve for the match as he is held back from umpire
"We are aiming to address these delays whilst maintaining a high quality of experience through our work on 'low latency streaming'."
For now, the trial will run on the iPlayer stream of BBC Two between 9am and 5pm.
For sports fans, you could notice the difference for major events like Wimbledon and the Women's Euro 2025 tournament airing on the channel.
The first devices to receive the trial are:
Amazon Fire TV Stick (3rd generation)
Amazon Fire TV Stick 4K (2nd generation)
Samsung CU8000 TV
Samsung CU8500 TV
To benefit from it, you'll need to switch the "beta" option on in the settings, if it's available to you.
You can check by going into the settings and looking for iPlayer Beta and selecting On.
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Leader Live
34 minutes ago
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Alcaraz dominates Norrie to end British hopes at Wimbledon
Cameron Norrie, the last Briton standing, saw his run to the quarter-finals come to an abrupt end. No sooner had he stepped onto Centre Court than he was back slumped in the locker room. The statistics told the story of a one-sided quarter-final contest: a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 masterclass from a player who is attempting to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in winning three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open era. Norrie had beaten Alcaraz twice before, but on these lawns — where the Spaniard is unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches — he is far more at home than the home hope. So popular is Alcaraz that cries of "Come on, Carlos" were nearly as loud as those backing the British No 3. Centre Court welcomes @cam_norrie & the defending champion 🤩 🎥 @ The Centre Court crowd quickly sensed the inevitability of the result, and the defending champion wrapped up his victory in just 99 minutes — his swiftest of the Championships thus far. Even Oliver Tarvet, the world No 733, had made him work harder for over two hours last week. Alcaraz won 89 per cent of his first-serve points and fired down 13 aces. He accumulated 94 points with 39 winners, and even when Norrie occasionally threatened his serve, the Spaniard remained unflustered. "Yes we Cam," shouted one optimistic voice in the crowd, although the sentiment owed more to summer sunshine and too many glasses of Pimm's than on-court reality. There was sympathy for Norrie who, despite his exceptional fitness, may have been feeling the effects of a five-set thriller against Nicolás Jarry just 48 hours earlier. Arthur Ashe, who won his historic title here 50 years ago, once remarked that the gap between the world No 1 and No 10 was as great as that between ten and 100. You did not need expert eyes to see that Norrie's current ranking — No 61, though this run will lift it — was cruelly exposed. "I was the underdog and he just took care of things really well," said Norrie. "It was a good experience to play the best player in the world, on his favourite surface. I didn't take my chances and that showed in the score. "When he's enjoying his tennis like this and he's serving that well, he's the favourite to win again for sure and the level he is playing is unreal. He's got so many options - he's got power and then he plays a drop shot. His physicality and movement makes it very tough for you. "It was one of the biggest matches of my career but for him that was probably just another match. He just played much better than me in the big moments and it all seemed to happen very quickly. I fought to the last point and I'm proud of my championships and I can take lots of confidence from it." Cam Norrie's great @Wimbledon run comes to an end as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz wins their quarter-final on Centre Court #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon Alcaraz paid tribute to Norrie's work ethic and expressed confidence in his ability to return to the upper echelons of the sport after his best Grand Slam showing since reaching the semi-finals here in 2022. His own focus now turns to Taylor Fritz, his semi-final opponent, whom he has beaten twice without dropping a set. "This was my best match of the tournament," he said. "I'm feeling great and while every match is different, my confidence is really high. "The more matches I've played, the more I've started to get a good rhythm with my serve. I'm feeling really calm and my thinking is very clear. "I struggled a bit in the first rounds of the championship but it's started to click now and feel really good. "Taylor is having a really successful season and he's playing some great tennis on grass, his aggressive game really suits this surface. "I need to find an even higher level than I did against Cameron, it doesn't get any easier. The key will be not to let him dominate the game. "This is my 23rd match in my winning streak but I don't want to stop, the players have a target on me and I know that." Fritz produced two outstanding sets to take control of his quarter-final against Karen Khachanov before inexplicably losing the third. He regained his composure, however, to complete a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 win. It is further evidence of the American's steely mindset, cultivated in recent years as he has become a consistent presence in the second week of majors. This will be only his second Grand Slam semi-final, after his run to last year's US Open final, where he was well beaten by Jannik Sinner. That experience, though, instilled fresh belief in his ability to navigate the latter stages of major tournaments. His current Wimbledon campaign has underscored that resilience. Fritz came through two five-set matches in the opening rounds — including a first-round tie against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard that spanned two days — and has improved as the grass at the baseline has thinned. His game has long been suited to grass, and after recent ATP Tour titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, he is as confident as ever as he attempts to dethrone the reigning champion. "[The US Open final] has given me a lot of confidence in those moments and situation — just having been there — that I can do it again," he said. "I feel like in other years, when I reached the quarter-finals here, it felt like a really big deal. This time I went into the match much more calm and relaxed. "I've just been really proud of how I've been mentally all week. I was about as close to being out of the tournament in the first round as you can be. "I think grass can be an equaliser. I trust how I'm playing. I truly believe that, playing the way I did in the first two sets today, there is not much any opponent can do." For the latest action on the British summer grass court season, check out the LTA website.
Leader Live
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Cameron Norrie backs ‘unreal' Carlos Alcaraz to win Wimbledon again
Norrie had hoped to become just the third home player in the open era to defeat a men's title holder in SW19 after Roger Taylor and Tim Henman but succumbed to a 6-2 6-3 6-3 quarter-final defeat in just an hour and 39 minutes. It was Alcaraz's 19th consecutive win at the All England Club and 23rd in a row overall, and Norrie said: 'It was a good experience to play probably the best player in the world at the moment, most confident player, on his best surface. The quest for a third consecutive #Wimbledon title continues — Wimbledon (@Wimbledon) July 8, 2025 'I think he is the favourite, for sure. His level was unreal. I felt like a lot of the time, if I didn't do enough with the ball, he was going to punish me with a lot of his different options, with power. He's got the drop (shot) as well available. 'So I think I was missing a little bit more because I was pressing a bit more than usual, but I think that's credit to him – his physicality, his movement and power.' It has nevertheless been an excellent fortnight for the 29-year-old, who almost dropped out of the top 100 earlier this season three years after reaching the semi-finals here and has shown he can be a factor again. Norrie will climb back to around 43 in the rankings following the tournament and, having been out for three months last summer with an arm injury, missing the US Open, he has a good opportunity to make further significant gains. 'I told you guys that I was hitting the ball well all year. I wanted it to happen. I think actually winning the matches and actually going through these experiences, you can take so much confidence from this. 'I want to just continue to play with confidence. I feel like I've been through a lot of tough moments in this week and a half and a lot of different kind of players and being the favourite, being the underdog in different scenarios. I think I've tested myself in all different aspects of the game, which is huge. 'I really feel like I'm enjoying my tennis a lot. I think that's most important.' Norrie's progress meant he finally had to move from his favoured Court One on to the main stage, where he had lost four of his five previous matches, including against Alexander Zverev last year and Novak Djokovic in the last four in 2022. Against Djokovic he had taken the first set to conjure dreams of a home finalist but here, with Lord of the Rings actor Sir Ian McKellen watching from the first row of the Royal Box, the wizardry came from Alcaraz. Once the Spaniard had saved four break points in the second game, he reeled off five in a row, and Norrie never got close to him again. Alcaraz served brilliantly whenever his opponent had the sniff of an opportunity and eased through to a semi-final clash with American fifth seed Taylor Fritz on Friday. Ready to leave it all on the course, fellas? @CarlosAlcaraz 🤝 @ — PGA TOUR (@PGATOUR) July 8, 2025 The 22-year-old was delighted with his performance, saying: 'Today was a great, great match. I think the best match so far in the tournament. Just really happy to see myself keep going, keep improving after every match, each day.' Alcaraz now has two days to prepare for his clash with Fritz, but his first priority is to try to set up a round of golf with Spider-Man actor Tom Holland, who was at the All England Club on Tuesday. 'There are some videos of him playing golf,' said Alcaraz. 'I would say he could beat me. But I would love to play against him. For me it would be such an honour. Let's see if he will be available, and we'll tee it up.'
Powys County Times
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Alcaraz dominates Norrie to end British hopes at Wimbledon
Carlos Alcaraz is genuinely one of sport's good guys, but this was an exhibition of dominance that, in any other workplace, might earn you a visit from HR. Cameron Norrie, the last Briton standing, saw his run to the quarter-finals come to an abrupt end. No sooner had he stepped onto Centre Court than he was back slumped in the locker room. The statistics told the story of a one-sided quarter-final contest: a 6-2, 6-3, 6-3 masterclass from a player who is attempting to join Bjorn Borg, Pete Sampras, Roger Federer and Novak Djokovic in winning three consecutive Wimbledon titles in the Open era. Norrie had beaten Alcaraz twice before, but on these lawns — where the Spaniard is unbeaten in 19 consecutive matches — he is far more at home than the home hope. So popular is Alcaraz that cries of "Come on, Carlos" were nearly as loud as those backing the British No 3. Centre Court welcomes @cam_norrie & the defending champion 🤩 🎥 @Wimbledon — LTA (@the_LTA) July 8, 2025 The Centre Court crowd quickly sensed the inevitability of the result, and the defending champion wrapped up his victory in just 99 minutes — his swiftest of the Championships thus far. Even Oliver Tarvet, the world No 733, had made him work harder for over two hours last week. Alcaraz won 89 per cent of his first-serve points and fired down 13 aces. He accumulated 94 points with 39 winners, and even when Norrie occasionally threatened his serve, the Spaniard remained unflustered. "Yes we Cam," shouted one optimistic voice in the crowd, although the sentiment owed more to summer sunshine and too many glasses of Pimm's than on-court reality. There was sympathy for Norrie who, despite his exceptional fitness, may have been feeling the effects of a five-set thriller against Nicolás Jarry just 48 hours earlier. Arthur Ashe, who won his historic title here 50 years ago, once remarked that the gap between the world No 1 and No 10 was as great as that between ten and 100. You did not need expert eyes to see that Norrie's current ranking — No 61, though this run will lift it — was cruelly exposed. "I was the underdog and he just took care of things really well," said Norrie. "It was a good experience to play the best player in the world, on his favourite surface. I didn't take my chances and that showed in the score. "When he's enjoying his tennis like this and he's serving that well, he's the favourite to win again for sure and the level he is playing is unreal. He's got so many options - he's got power and then he plays a drop shot. His physicality and movement makes it very tough for you. "It was one of the biggest matches of my career but for him that was probably just another match. He just played much better than me in the big moments and it all seemed to happen very quickly. I fought to the last point and I'm proud of my championships and I can take lots of confidence from it." Cam Norrie's great @Wimbledon run comes to an end as defending champion Carlos Alcaraz wins their quarter-final on Centre Court #BackTheBrits 🇬🇧 | #Wimbledon — LTA (@the_LTA) July 8, 2025 Alcaraz paid tribute to Norrie's work ethic and expressed confidence in his ability to return to the upper echelons of the sport after his best Grand Slam showing since reaching the semi-finals here in 2022. His own focus now turns to Taylor Fritz, his semi-final opponent, whom he has beaten twice without dropping a set. "This was my best match of the tournament," he said. "I'm feeling great and while every match is different, my confidence is really high. "The more matches I've played, the more I've started to get a good rhythm with my serve. I'm feeling really calm and my thinking is very clear. "I struggled a bit in the first rounds of the championship but it's started to click now and feel really good. "Taylor is having a really successful season and he's playing some great tennis on grass, his aggressive game really suits this surface. "I need to find an even higher level than I did against Cameron, it doesn't get any easier. The key will be not to let him dominate the game. "This is my 23rd match in my winning streak but I don't want to stop, the players have a target on me and I know that." Fritz produced two outstanding sets to take control of his quarter-final against Karen Khachanov before inexplicably losing the third. He regained his composure, however, to complete a 6-3, 6-4, 1-6, 7-6 win. It is further evidence of the American's steely mindset, cultivated in recent years as he has become a consistent presence in the second week of majors. This will be only his second Grand Slam semi-final, after his run to last year's US Open final, where he was well beaten by Jannik Sinner. That experience, though, instilled fresh belief in his ability to navigate the latter stages of major tournaments. His current Wimbledon campaign has underscored that resilience. Fritz came through two five-set matches in the opening rounds — including a first-round tie against Giovanni Mpetshi Perricard that spanned two days — and has improved as the grass at the baseline has thinned. His game has long been suited to grass, and after recent ATP Tour titles in Stuttgart and Eastbourne, he is as confident as ever as he attempts to dethrone the reigning champion. "[The US Open final] has given me a lot of confidence in those moments and situation — just having been there — that I can do it again," he said. "I feel like in other years, when I reached the quarter-finals here, it felt like a really big deal. This time I went into the match much more calm and relaxed. "I've just been really proud of how I've been mentally all week. I was about as close to being out of the tournament in the first round as you can be. "I think grass can be an equaliser. I trust how I'm playing. I truly believe that, playing the way I did in the first two sets today, there is not much any opponent can do."
