The annual Boat Race between the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge is one of the world’s oldest sporting events. Held on the famous championship course (4 miles, 374 yards or 6.8 km long) on the River Thames between Putney and Mortlake, this eagerly awaited competition 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 teams winning in 2025.
Indeed, Cambridge have 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 anywhere.
How to watch Boat Race 2026 live streams online for FREE
It is possible to watch Boat Race 2026 FREE in many countries around the world in which the event is shown Channel 4 in Great Britain, RTVE in Spain, France.tv in France and on the official Olympic Channel everywhere it has not recorded 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 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 streamed on many platforms around the world, but what if you’re overseas and don’t want to pay for a new subscription or you want your favorite commentary team?
This is where a VPN can help. It’s a handy piece of software that can make your device appear to be home again, so you can unlock your usual service or subscription from anywhere. The best VPN right now? We recommend NordVPN – it does everything you want it to do with great speeds and an even better price.
How to watch Boat Race live streams in the UK
As mentioned above, viewers in the UK can watch the 2026 Boat Race for absolutely FREE Channel 4with live coverage starting at 1.30pm BST.
Women’s Boat Race starts at 14:21 BST, and the Men’s Boat Race at 15:21 BST.
Outside the UK this weekend? If you want to watch Boat Race on Channel 4 while traveling abroad, you will have to Download NordVPNas described above.
How to watch Boat Race 2026 around the world
How to watch Boat Race online in USA, Canada, Australia
Overnight stay 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 are currently away from your home country but still want to watch the race on your usual service, don’t forget to explore The VPN route stated above.
Boat Race Schedule 2026
Date: Saturday 4 April 2026
12:00: Chanel 4 coverage starts
14:21: 80. Women’s Boat Race
2:31 p.m: Osiris vs Blondie Boat Race
14:51: Isis vs Goldie Boat Race
15:21: 171. Men’s boat race
Boat Race 2026 team
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
Arch: 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)
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