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Boat Race 2026 Switches to Channel 4 for Saturday's Thames Races

Producers promise a more relatable show built around athlete stories.

Overview

  • The Oxford–Cambridge races take place Saturday, with the women off at 2:21pm BST, reserve races in between, and the men at 3:21pm BST.
  • Channel 4 begins a five-year TV deal through at least 2028, Times Radio has audio rights, and the BBC will not carry live coverage for the first time.
  • The broadcast team features Jamie Laing with Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan, with plans for behind-the-scenes pieces, simple comparisons to other sports, and on-screen props.
  • Cambridge enter on a streak, with the women unbeaten since 2016 and the men winners in the past three years, and the all-time records favor Cambridge 49–30 and 88–81.
  • Oxford's challenge is led by Olympic bronze medallist Heidi Long in the women's crew, while up to 200,000 spectators typically line the 4.2-mile course from Putney to Mortlake.