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The Corporation has signed what it describes as an exclusive deal with Infront Sports & Media, which is the company responsible for the worldwide marketing and sales of the broadcast rights to the 2006 FIFA World Cup, having been appointed by FIFA.

The deal means Internet users, in the UK only, will be able to watch all of the BBC World Cup games online. Of course, in the age of media PCs and the widespread adoption of TV tuner cards, this means less than it would have done for previous tournaments, but office workers with broadband access will certainly welcome the solution for those troublesome 4pm kick-off times!

The place to take your seat is www.bbc.co.uk/worldcup.

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There will also be four minute highlight clips - from all of the 64 matches - available on-demand. Note the distinction, that the BBC doesn't have full access to all the games. For example, the BBC will have the exclusive rights to England's first group game but not the following two, and the second round and quarter-final games (should they reach that far) but not the semi-final.

'Our audiences now expect to get BBC Sport on television, on radio and online - and the World Cup on broadband is our biggest commitment yet to bringing people major events where and when they want them,' said the BBC's Director of Sport, Roger Mosey. '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.'

In a similar vein, the BBC has also announced extended Wimbledon coverage - with the tennis championship now being piped online.

The service, which will be freely available from www.bbc.co.uk/wimbledon, will include coverage from BBC's live terrestrial coverage and its digital interactive feeds. The site will also be running three-minute highlight packages rounding up each day's play.

The BBC's coverage of the World Cup begins 9 June with Germany versus Costa Rica, and Wimbledon begins Monday 26 June.