The annual boat race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge is one of the oldest sporting events in the world. Held on the famous championship course (4 miles, 374 yards or 6.8 km long) on the River Thames, between Putney and Mortlake, this highly anticipated competition is steeped in tradition, showcasing elite rowing talent and fierce rivalry.
Watch The Boat Race 2026 – Stream Oxford v Cambridge
The race starts downstream of Putney Bridge, passes under Hammersmith and Barnes Bridges and finishes just before Chiswick Bridge. Cambridge currently leads 88-81 among the men and 49-30 among the women, with both crews winning in 2025.
In fact, Cambridge have won six of the last seven men’s races, with Oxford’s most recent victory coming in 2022. The situation is even more one-sided in the women’s race, where Cambridge has won every edition since 2017.
Will Oxford find form and close the gap, or will Cambridge maintain their dominance? Read on for everything you need to know to watch a live stream of the 2026 Boat Race from anywhere.
How to watch Boat Race 2026 live streams online for FREE
It is possible to watch Boat Race 2026 for FREE in many countries around the world, as the event is broadcast on Channel 4 in the United Kingdom, RTVE in Spain, France.tv in France, and on the official website Olympic Channel everywhere, it did not pick up any broadcaster.
If you’re based in the UK, Spain, or an eligible country, like France, but are currently abroad, don’t worry about missing out on the action: all you need to do is download a VPN to reconnect to your home streaming coverage.
Watch Boat Race live streams from abroad
Boat Race is broadcast on many platforms around the world, but what if you’re abroad and don’t want to shell out for a new subscription, or want your favorite commentary team?
This is where a VPN can help you. This is a handy piece of software that can make your device feel like it’s back at home, so you can unblock your usual service or subscription from anywhere. The best VPN at the moment? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything you want, at high speeds and at an even better price.
How to watch Boat Race live streams in the UK
As mentioned above, UK viewers can watch the 2026 Boat Race completely FREE on Channel 4with live coverage from 1:30 p.m. BST.
The women’s boat race will start at 2:21 p.m. BST and the men’s boat race will start at 3:21 p.m. BST.
Outside the UK this weekend? If you want to watch the boat race on Channel 4 while traveling abroad, you will need to Download NordVPNas detailed above.
How to watch Boat Race 2026 around the world
How to watch Boat Race online in the US, Canada and Australia
Duration will broadcast The Boat Race 2026 live across North America, including the United States and Canada, as well as Australia and New Zealand.
If you’re currently away from your home country but still want to watch the race on your usual service, be sure to explore the VPN route set out above.
2026 boat racing calendar
Date: Saturday April 4, 2026
12:00 p.m.: Start of the Chanel 4 cover
2:21 p.m.: 80th Women’s Boat Race
2:31 p.m.: Osiris vs. Blondie Boat Race
2:51 p.m.: Isis vs. Goldie Boat Race
3:21 p.m.: 171st men’s boat race
The Boat Race 2026 teams
OxfordWomen’s blue boat
Arc: Annie Anezakis (Pembroke)
2: Emily Molins (St Hilda)
3: Lilli Freischem (Reuben)
4: Julietta Camahort (Green Templeton)
5: Kyra Delray (Wolfson)
6: Esther Briz Zamorano (St Edmund Hall)
7: Sarah Marshall (Nuffield)
Stroke: Heidi Long (Lady Margaret Hall)
Cox: Louis Corrigan (Green Templeton)
Cambridge blue boat for women
Bow: Gemma King (St John’s)
2: Isobel Campbell (Hughes Hall)
3: Charlotte Ebel (Newnham)
4: Carys Earl (Gonville and Caius)
5: Antonia Galland (Peterhouse)
6: Camille VanderMeer (Peterhouse)
7: Mia Freischem (Darwin)
Stroke: Aidan Wrenn-Walz (Fitzwilliam)
Cox: Matt Moran (Emmanuel)
Oxford Men’s blue boat
Bow: Felix Crabtree (Hertford)
2: Julian Schöberl (Green Templeton)
3: James Fetter (Oriel)
4: Fergus Pim (New)
5: Alex Underwood (Pembroke)
6: Jamie Arnold (Jesus)
7: Alexandre Sullivan (Oriel)
Stroke: Harry Geffen (Keble)
Cox: Tobias Bernard (Madeleine)
CambridgeMen’s Blue Boat
Arc: Simon Hatcher (Peterhouse)
2: Noam Mouelle (Hughes Hall)
3: Kyle Fram (Lucy Cavendish)
4: Patrick Wild (Peterhouse)
5: Gabriel Obholzer (Peterhouse)
6: Alexander McClean (Hughes Hall)
7: William Klipstine (Hughes Hall)
Stroke: Frederik Breuer (Lucy Cavendish)
Cox: Sammy Houdaigui (Fitzwilliam)
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