Many television viewers watching the first day of Wimbledon 2023 on Monday were left angry and disappointed after BBC iPlayer went down.
Outage recorder Downdetector reported more than 1,000 issues with BBC’s on-demand service by 1.35pm.
The issues appeared to be more common for mobile app users, but they also occurred on live TV and catch-up broadcasts via the iPlayer website.
BBC iPlayer shows recordings of programmes that have already been broadcast, as well as live streams from BBC channels.
With the BBC being the exclusive broadcaster of Wimbledon in the UK, Monday’s issues meant fans missed out on some top tennis action. Here’s what we know about what has happened.
Why is BBC iPlayer not working during Wimbledon?
The BBC has not yet commented publicly on the outage. However, Downdetector said 50 per cent of the issues reported were to do with video streaming, with the rest split between the website and the app.
This suggested there was some sort of problem with the connection and output, with people unable to stream any of the BBC’s channels, including the Wimbledon coverage.
For many, the problem occurred during the use of the app on mobile devices such as phones and tablets. Some people reported issues with the iPlayer website when accessing it through a desktop computer or smart TV.
It’s likely that the BBC will have a solution soon. In the meantime, the best way to watch Wimbledon will be directly via the BBC channels, which appear to be unaffected by the iPlayer outage.
Some matches that have already been affected include defending men’s singles champion Novak Djokovic’s match against Argentina’s Pedro Cachin on Centre Court. Viewers also reported problems watching two-time grand slam champion Victoria Azarenka’s first-round match against Yuan Yue.
Social media has been awash with complaints about the issues.
To troubleshoot them for yourself, ensure you have a strong internet connection and that you haven’t been accidentally logged out of your iPlayer account.
