The Boat Race live stream 2026: how to watch Oxford vs Cambridge rowing online, schedule, start time, streaming guide

The annual Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldest sporting events. Held at the famous Championship Course (4 miles, 374 yards, or 6.8 km long) on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake, this eagerly anticipated contest is steeped in tradition, showcasing elite rowing talent and fierce rivalry.

Watch The Boat Race 2026 — Stream Oxford vs 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 in the men’s race and 49-30 in the women’s race, with both crews winning in 2025.

In fact, Cambridge has won six of the last seven men’s races, with Oxford’s most recent victory coming in 2022. The picture 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 continue its dominance? Read on for everything you need to know to watch a 2026 Boat Race live stream from anywhere.

How to watch Boat Race 2026 live streams online for FREE

It's possible to watch Boat Race 2026 for FREE in many countries around the world, as the event is being shown on Channel 4 in the UK, RTVE in Spain, France.tv in France, and on the official Olympic Channel everywhere it hasn't picked up a broadcaster.

If you're a resident of the UK, Spain or an eligible country, such as France, but you're abroad right now, don't worry about missing the action – all you need to do is download a VPN to re-connect to your home streaming coverage.

Watch Boat Race live streams from abroad

Boat Race is streaming on lots of platforms around the world, but what if you're overseas and don't want to fork out for a new subscription, or you want your favorite commentary team?

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How to watch Boat Race live streams in the UK

As mentioned above, viewers in the UK can watch the 2026 Boat Race completely FREE on Channel 4, with live coverage starting at 13.30pm BST.

The Women’s Boat Race will start at 2:21pm BST, and the Men's Boat Race on 3:21pm BST.

Outside the UK this weekend? If you want to watch the Boat Race on Channel 4 whilst traveling abroad you'll need to download NordVPN, as detailed above.

How to watch Boat Race 2026 around the world

How to watch Boat Race online in US, Canada, Australia

Overnght will be broadcasting The Boat Race 2026 live across North America, including the USA 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, then don't forget to explore the VPN route set out above.

Boat Race schedule 2026

Date: Saturday, 4 April 2026

12:00: Chanel 4 coverage starts

14:21: 80th Women’s Boat Race

14:31: Osiris vs Blondie Boat Race

14:51: Isis vs Goldie Boat Race

15:21: 171st Men’s Boat Race

Boat Race 2026 teams

Oxford Women’s Blue Boat

Bow: Annie Anezakis (Pembroke)

2: Emily Molins (St Hilda’s)

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 Women’s Blue Boat

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: Alexander Sullivan (Oriel)

Stroke: Harry Geffen (Keble)

Cox: Tobias Bernard (Magdalen)

Cambridge Men’s Blue Boat

Bow: 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)