Channel 4 and The Boat Race announce a multi-year broadcast agreement
- Channel 4 wins competitive rights bid to become the exclusive free-to-air TV home of one of Britain’s most historic sporting events
- The new agreement will see the broadcaster provide coverage of both the Men’s Boat Race and Women’s Boat Race for the next five years, starting in 2026.
- The Boat Race attracted record viewership numbers in 2025, with The Women’s Boat Race the most watched female sporting event in 2025 at the time.
London UK: Channel 4 has today announced they have secured the broadcast rights to The Boat Race, in a multi-year agreement. At the historic Presidents’ Challenge event held at Somerset House, at which the losing crew from the previous year’s Boat Race formally challenges the winning crew to a race, Channel 4 will be welcomed as the new home of The Boat Race.
In front of an audience of Old Blues and Boat Race fans, Oxford’s Tobias Bernard and Heidi Long will challenge their victorious Cambridge counterparts Noam Mouelle and Gemma King.
Under the new deal, the free-to-air broadcaster will have exclusive rights to air the iconic British sports event, for the next five years, beginning in 2026. The 2026 edition of The Boat Race will take place on Easter Saturday – 4 April – with the Women’s Boat Race at 14.21, and the Men’s Boat Race at 15.21.
The Boat Race coverage will be produced by specialist sports production company FilmNova.
Held annually on the River Thames in London between Oxford and Cambridge universities, the deal struck by Channel 4 will see the broadcaster cover the centenary of the Women’s Boat Race in 2027 and bicentenary of the Men’s Boat Race in 2029.
Pete Andrews, Channel 4 Head of Sport, said “We are thrilled to have secured the rights to one of the most iconic amateur sports events in the British calendar. The Boat Race is rich in tradition and history and British interest in the event has never been stronger.
He added: “We are committed to bringing the very best sports events to our audience, both from the UK and around the globe, and The Boat Race is the perfect example. It’s the crown jewel of the rowing calendar and consistently captures the imagination of the British public year after year, both on the side of the Thames and in living rooms across the country. In recent years, it has delivered some truly unforgettable moments, and we can’t wait to bring that excitement to our viewers next year.”
This latest deal further highlights Channel 4’s continued strength in bringing some of the biggest sports properties to the channel. Their current portfolio of major sports events includes live matches from the Adobe Women’s FA Cup, Formula 1 highlights, the UEFA Under-21 Championship, England’s home matches in UEFA Nations League and European Qualifiers, and England Hockey internationals.
Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race Company, said “We are delighted to work with Channel 4 to broadcast our unique, iconic and intensely British event between our two world-leading Universities.
“We know that this is a huge day out for Londoners, and our independent research has shown that Boat Race Day generates £13-15 million in economic impact for London.
She added: “We are grateful to the support of our previous broadcast partners and have come a long way since our first radio commentary in 1927 and television pictures in 1938. We look forward to seeing how Channel 4 can portray the drama, excitement and heritage of the event on Easter Saturday 2026!”
In recent years, Cambridge University, the Light Blues, have dominated with a clean sweep of both Boat Races in 2025. Oxford University, the Dark Blues, will be determined to turn the tide in 2026. Currently the overall records stand at 88-81 in favour of Cambridge Men and 49-30 to Cambridge Women.
ENDS
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