UK public-service broadcaster the BBC has further enhanced its coverage plans for the London 2012 Olympic Games by launching a Facebook application, which will offer audiences live streams of major sports events.

The launch marks the first time the BBC has live streamed events on the social networking platform, with the broadcaster stating it currently receives over 20 million requests for streaming sports content per month. A beta version of the app was launched on Thursday for the Wimbledon tennis championships, offering BBC’s network TV coverage plus up to six extra match streams from across the courts, as well as comment threads and sharing features.

The beta launch comes ahead of next month’s Olympics, where up to 24 streams of Olympics coverage will be provided, along with live chat functionality. Phil Fearnley, general manager of BBC News and Knowledge, said: “It’s a core part of the BBC’s mission to bring our quality content to audiences wherever they are, so I’m very excited to be able to offer sport fans on Facebook a really distinctive live streaming experience.”

He added: “With our Facebook app we aim to bring even greater value to our online audiences, enabling them to watch together and share their excitement. We hope to use it to test the benefits of social viewing, as part of our ambition to deliver more innovative and transformative experiences to sports fans.”