BBC vows to end iPlayer sports delay ... by 2022

IT’S a technological hitch that can ruin the tension of a penalty shootout.

You watch your side’s player stroll up for the crucial kick ... but before the ball hits the net, a cheer erupts from next door.

Football fans watching the World Cup online this summer were forced to endure delays of 30 seconds or more compared to those watching on traditional television.

But the BBC yesterday claimed it has solved the problem on its iPlayer service during sporting events.

The delays, known as latency, happen because it takes longer to reliably send video over the internet than it does to broadcast it on television. Portions of video and audio data are delivered in separate files online. Long segments slow them down, causing delays, and short segments are harder to produce.

The BBC’s engineers have experimented by creating chunks that can move faster. This means that online viewers will see action at the same time as those watching TV. However, sports fans will have to be patient. The Corporation said only that the technology should be ready in time for the next World Cup, in 2022.

Chris Poole, a lead engineer for BBC Research and Development, said: ‘To roll it out properly will take time, and it needs coordination with the whole industry, so viewers shouldn’t expect the lag to disappear imminently.

‘But perhaps by the time they’re watching the next World Cup, viewers will be cheering at the same time, regardless of how they’re watching the match.’