Boat Race coverage to move from BBC to Channel 4

TV sum of nan yearly Boat Race will time off nan BBC and move to Channel 4 arsenic portion of a caller five-year authorities deal.

Channel 4 said it was "thrilled" to denote it will supply sum of some nan Men's Boat Race and Women's Boat Race for nan adjacent 5 years, starting successful 2026.

The BBC said it had been "proud to broadcast nan Boat Race complete galore years", adding: "Our determination not to proceed reflects nan difficult choices we request to make to guarantee we present nan champion worth for audiences pinch nan money that we have."

The title betwixt Oxford and Cambridge universities connected nan River Thames successful London was first broadcast connected BBC power successful 1927, and was televised for nan first clip successful 1938.

The BBC's connection concluded: "We are pleased nan Boat Race will stay disposable free-to-air and wish each progressive successful nan arena each occurrence for nan future."

The BBC has televised nan title for astir of nan past 87 years, but mislaid nan authorities to ITV betwixt 2005-09.

BBC sources denied a study successful nan Telegraph that nan corporation's head of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, viewed nan arena arsenic "elitist", adding that nan determination had been purely based connected nan return connected investment.

Pete Andrews, caput of athletics astatine Channel 4, said nan broadcaster was "thrilled to person secured nan authorities to 1 of nan astir iconic amateur sports events successful nan British calendar".

"The Boat Race is rich | successful contented and history and British liking successful nan arena has ne'er been stronger," he added, describing nan arena arsenic nan "crown jewel of nan rowing calendar".

The adjacent version will return spot connected Easter Saturday, 4 April 2026.

Channel 4 will formally beryllium welcomed arsenic nan caller broadcaster astatine nan accepted Presidents' Challenge arena held astatine Somerset House, which sees nan losing unit from nan erstwhile year's title formally situation nan winning unit to a race.

Specialist sports accumulation institution FilmNova will proceed to nutrient nan coverage.

Siobhan Cassidy, chair of The Boat Race Company, said: "We are delighted to activity pinch Channel 4 to broadcast our unique, iconic and intensely British arena betwixt our 2 world-leading universities.

"We are grateful to nan support of our erstwhile broadcast partners and person travel a agelong measurement since our first power commentary successful 1927 and tv pictures successful 1938.

"We look guardant to seeing really Channel 4 tin represent nan drama, excitement and practice of nan event."