The BBC is to stream News 24 on the internet but may face a problem over online sports rights.

News 24, which now features big name BBC presenters including Huw Edwards, Emily Maitlis and Andrew Neil, will be available over the web in a streamed video format within the next few months.

Viewers can already download News 24 clips and programmes such as Hard Talk. They can also watch the BBC1's three main news programmes as well as a constantly updated three-minute bulletin over the web.

The new 24-hour web broadcast will be tailored so that it can only be accessed by users from within the UK.

However, the BBC does not own the online rights to some of the footage used in its sports bulletins.

A BBC News spokesman said discussions were taking place in a bid to resolve the issue. If the BBC was unable to obtain the online rights, the sporting action would be edited out of the online broadcast.

BBC bosses have sought to raise the profile of News 24 in its battle with Sky News by hiring the likes of Edwards, presenter of the flagship 10pm news bulletin, and new Newsnight presenter Maitlis. Neil will host a revamped version of News 24's politics show, Straight Talk.

News 24, previously viewed as the poor relation of the BBC News machine, has been given more money and more resources under the recently appointed head of TV news, Peter Horrocks, and the new controller, Kevin Bakhurst.

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