The deal with the All England Club means the corporation will continue its 60-year association with the world's most famous tennis tournament until at least 2004.

The BBC says the new deal is the most comprehensive yet in a relationship with Wimbledon which goes back to its first radio broadcast in 1927.

Tim Henman: To be seen on the BBC until 2004 at least

It is a boost for BBC Sport, which has recently lost two key cricket contracts to commercial rivals as well as European football coverage.

Chief executive of BBC Broadcast Will Wyatt said the tennis was a clear recognition of the corporation's capability to broadcast live sport.

"Wimbledon is one of the world's great sporting events," he said.

"We welcome the opportunity to extend our successful partnership with The All England Club into the new technological opportunities of the next millennium."

All England Club chairman John Curry said they were impressed with other bids, but wanted to ensure as wide an audience as possible for the fortnight-long championships.

BBC: Part of the Centre Court furniture

"We look for quality and quantity of coverage," he explained.

"We select our television and radio partners on the basis of audience research, live transmissions and the number of hours of coverage they are able to provide.

"We must ensure that British tennis continues to benefit from commercially realistic rates in a fiercely competitive market place, as the surplus from the championships used to develop the game."

Ten days of continuous tennis

The BBC is devoting 160 hours of television and 100 hours of radio to the event this year, a total of almost 11 continuous days if coverage was laid end-to-end.

BBC TV chief Alan Yentob: Planning interactive widescreen Wimbledon

Exact details of the contract's value have not been released but the deal covers certain internet rights as well as television and radio.

"This is a deal for the digital age," added director of television Alan Yentob, who promised interactivity and widescreen broadcasts from Centre Court.

He denied the BBC had recaptured Wimbledon at the expense of other sports, saying the demise of the corporation's sports coverage was "much exaggerated".

A newspaper report last week criticised BBC Sport controller, Mike Miller for being in charge while domestic and international cricket contracts were lost to Channel 4 television and Talk Radio.

But the controller said of the new deal: "For British sports fans the Wimbledon championships represent tennis."

He added that the new deal was "hard-earned".

Testing of interactive digital television coverage of Wimbledon could begin as early as next week.

And viewers could be offered options such as their own choice of matches within a two years.

A dozen successes in 1999

The contract is the 12th major sports rights contract to be signed by the BBC in 1999.

Talk's Kelvin MacKenzie: Won cricket coverage but partner with BBC in football and rugby league

Earlier this month, the corporation and Talk Radio won a joint contract to broadcast top-class football games for the next three years.

A similar contract was announced for rugby league a week later while Allied Dunbar Premiership rugby union matches will be screened on BBC TV following a deal last December.

World and domestic athletics are also being shown on the corporation's conventional and digital services under new deals signed last year.