FilmNova secures Channel 4 Boat Race production deal until 2030
October 13, 2026 12.29 Europe/London By Julian Clover


FilmNova has won a four-year contract to produce Channel 4’s coverage of The CHANEL J12 Boat Race following a competitive tender process.

The agreement covers the remainder of Channel 4’s broadcast rights deal, which runs until 2030, and includes the centenary of the Women’s Race in 2027 and the bicentenary of the Men’s Race in 2029.

The sports production company produced Channel 4’s first Boat Race broadcast in 2026, which reached an overall audience of 3 million.

For the Women’s Centenary on Sunday 11 April 2027, the race order will be reversed. The Men’s Boat Race will start at 15:40 on the Championship Course, followed by the Women’s Boat Race at 16:40. The change was announced at the Presidents’ Challenge event at Somerset House.

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.”

FilmNova managing director Phil Sibson said the company would continue developing the broadcast and seek to bring the event to wider audiences. He added that covering four miles of open river alongside the spectacle of live sport demands constant innovation.

Siobhan Cassidy, Chair of The Boat Race Company, welcomed the agreement, citing the quality of the previous broadcast and the innovations introduced by Channel 4 and FilmNova.