In the UK, where Wimbledon is held, the BBC has run 4K trials for the last few years along with other events like the Euros football. As usual, it’s available in four times the resolution of Full HD if you have the right equipment.
The tournament starts on Monday 27 June and runs until Sunday 10 July.
Wimbledon 4K in the UK
If you’re in the UK then you can watch live games in Ultra HD thanks to the BBC (across BBC One and Two) and although we were hoping for more coverage than last year, it’s still limited to games on centre court.
Here’s what you need:
Fast enough internet A compatible 4K TV or streaming device
When it comes to broadband speed, the BBC says it needs to be 24Mbps for the ‘full 3840 pixel Ultra HD experience’, or 12Mbps for lower-res 2560p. Find out how to test your broadband speed.
If your Wi-Fi is unreliable, consider plugging your TV or media player into your router with an Ethernet cable for a better connection. You could also upgrade your home network with a powerline adapter or mesh Wi-Fi network kit.
You’ll also need a compatible TV or media player (if your TV is 4K but not supported itself) and fortunately, the list is long including many Samsung, LG, Philips and Hisense 4K TVs.
Head to the BBC site and click on the manufacturer or search the page for your exact model number. Sadly, Sky Q isn’t supported, and you can’t watch in 4K via a web browser on your phone or laptop either.
Note that if you want to watch in HDR you’ll need a TV that supports HLG (hybrid log gamma). It’s the HDR standard used for iPlayer so check your TV specs to see if it’s supported.
If you have the right hardware and fast enough speed, you simply need to open the iPlayer app and find the Wimbledon matches via the homepage or sports section.
Make sure you have the video quality to ‘Best Quality’ in the settings menu and check the iPlayer interface for little ‘UHD’ icons, so you know it’s in Ultra HD.
As this is still classed as a ‘trial’ spaces for the UHD stream might be limited as they were for the Euros so make sure you get in with good time. Although the BBC doesn’t mention this specifically for Wimbledon.
Eurosport has previously shown Wimbledon in 4K Ultra HD, and although the channel confirmed that it wouldn’t be doing the same for 2021 “due to the broadcasting rights” the women’s and men’s finals were reportedly broadcast in 4K. That could be the same again but it’s unclear at this stage.
Wimbledon 4K in the US
Although you can watch Wimbledon in the states via ESPN+ (ESPN on TV) or Tennis Channel Plus, neither appears to offer 4K. ESPN+ is limited to 720p and Tennis Channel’s site only mentions HD quality.
However, you can watch in 4K via the BBC iPlayer with the method below. Note that BBC America will not be showing Wimbledon.
Wimbledon 4K outside the UK
If you’re not in the UK then watching Wimbledon in 4K via the iPlayer is going to be a little harder but is still possible.
You’ll still need all of the requirements mentioned above but you’ll need to install a VPN on your TV or device in order to virtually browse from the UK – otherwise the content will be geo-restricted.
We recommend NordVPN and SurfShark but you can see more in our best VPNs round-up. Also, find out how to install a VPN on your TV.
Note there are other restrictions when it comes to watching BBC iPlayer outside of the UK such as needing a valid TV licence and also needing a BBC account with a UK postcode. Find out more in our how to watch BBC iPlayer abroad explainer.
Tech Advisor’s Reviews Editor, Chris has been reviewing all kinds of tech for over 10 years and specialises in audio. He also covers a range of topics including home entertainment, phones, laptops, tablets and more.
