FilmNova to produce The CHANEL J12 Boat Race for Channel 4 until 2030

Four-year deal follows a competitive tender process and spans two major milestones in the event’s history.

FilmNova are to produce Channel 4’s coverage of The Boat Race for the remainder of the broadcaster’s rights agreement, which runs until 2030.

The specialist sports production company will continue to bring audiences one of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events, in which Oxford University Boat Club and Cambridge University Boat Club go oar-to-oar on the River Thames. FilmNova produced The Boat Race 2026 for Channel 4, the first year of the channel’s five-year rights deal, with the debut broadcast reaching an overall audience of 3 million.

The announcement comes ahead of a major milestone for The Boat Race in 2027: the centenary of the first Women’s Race, held in 1927.

At the Presidents’ Challenge event at Somerset House last month, it was announced that the race order will be reversed for the Women’s Centenary. On Sunday 11 April 2027, The CHANEL J12 Men’s Boat Race will begin first on the Championship Course at 15:40, followed by The CHANEL J12 Women’s Boat Race at 16:40.

Channel 4’s broadcast agreement also includes the bicentenary of the Men’s Boat Race in 2029.

Joe Blake-Turner, Head of Sport at Channel 4, said: “We are very proud of our coverage of The Boat Race 2026 and look forward to continuing our partnership with FilmNova over the next four years as we continue to evolve our coverage. The Boat Race 2027 will celebrate the Women’s Centenary and with the Men’s Bicentenary to follow in 2029, there is lots to look forward to.”

Phil Sibson, Managing Director for FilmNova, said: “The Boat Race is one of the most iconic events in British sport, and we are incredibly proud to be entrusted with its coverage for the next four years. Following a successful first year with Channel 4, we are excited by the opportunity to keep evolving the broadcast and bringing the event to even wider audiences. Combining the spectacle of live sport with the challenge of covering four miles of open river demands constant innovation, making this one of the most rewarding events to produce. This is a landmark period in the history of The Boat Race and one we are privileged to help bring to life.”

Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race Company, added: “We’re delighted that FilmNova will continue to work in partnership with Channel 4 to deliver broadcast coverage of The CHANEL J12 Boat Race. We were really impressed by the quality of last year’s coverage and the innovations introduced by Channel 4 and FilmNova. We’re excited to work with them through to 2030, a period which includes exciting milestones such as our Women’s Centenary in 2027 and our Men’s Bicentenary in 2029.”

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