The BBC has performed an 11th hour about-turn and will now show the America’s Cup match between Great Britain and New Zealand live on iPlayer, Telegraph Sport understands.

The match could yet be switched to a linear platform later in the competition, most likely if Ineos Britannia are doing well.

Ben Ainslie’s team take on defenders New Zealand in a first-to-seven series, beginning on Saturday, for the chance to lift the Auld Mug for the first time in the competition’s 173-year history.

A BBC spokesperson had told Telegraph Sport on Thursday that they would be covering the event “through news and digital reporting”. That was after the BBC initially failed to reach agreement with America’s Cup organisers despite being offered the footage free of charge.

The BBC’s decision prompted a furious backlash from readers and licence fee payers who felt the national broadcaster should be screening something as historic as an America’s Cup match.

Ineos Britannia are the first British team for 60 years to make it through to the final of sport’s oldest international competition.

It is understood the BBC had an issue with some of the branding on the live feed, particularly the ‘wipe’, a type of film transition where one shot replaces another using a sponsor’s logo. The 37th America’s Cup is sponsored by Louis Vuitton.

A BBC spokesperson later confirmed they would be showing the America’s Cup: “We have reached an agreement to show the America’s Cup tomorrow live on BBC iPlayer, BBC Sport website & app from 13:00.”

A spokesperson for America’s Cup Events said: “We are very happy that BBC is taking the live feed of the Louis Vuitton 37th America’s Cup racing. It will be an historical event no matter whether Ineos Britannia win the America’s Cup for the first time in 173 years, or Emirates Team New Zealand can win it for the third time in a row, so it is great that the UK will be able to watch the racing free and live on BBC.”

The match will also be shown live on TNT Sports in the UK, as well as on YouTube and on the America’s Cup website, as it was throughout the challenger series.

Racing begins on Saturday afternoon with two races scheduled for the opening day.

Ainslie told reporters on Friday that his team were “underdogs” given the Kiwis had had three weeks to prepare, having ducked out of racing after the challenger series round robins. Ineos defeated Italians Luna Rossa 7-4 in the challenger series final which ended last Friday.

“In terms of who has got the advantage I would say for sure Team New Zealand being able to take three weeks to look at the configuration of their boat, and get the data of the competing boat,” Ainslie said. “Only one team here really knows the line-up of the competition and it’s Team New Zealand, not us.”

The final of the inaugural Women’s America’s Cup, a one-off match race between Britain’s Athena Pathway and Italy’s Luna Rossa, will now be held between the two America’s Cup matches on Saturday.

Winds of between 7-13 knots are forecast.