Times Radio has announced that it has secured the exclusive UK radio rights to The Boat Race, becoming the event’s official radio partner in a new three-year agreement running until 2028.
The deal marks the first time Times Radio has been the official broadcaster of a live sporting event and will see the station deliver exclusive live radio commentary of both the Women’s and Men’s Oxford & Cambridge Boat Races on Saturday 4 April (Easter weekend).
According to Times Radio, presenter Jane Mulkerrins will host a special live edition of her Saturday afternoon programme from the Putney riverbank, where the The CHANEL J12 Boat Race 2026 begins, from 1pm–4pm. She will be joined by a line-up of rowing royalty and local celebrity guests, bringing listeners the atmosphere, analysis and reaction from the Championship Course.
Times Radio says it will also build anticipation in the weeks beforehand with a programme of interviews and features, including conversations with the Presidents and crews from both universities, ensuring listeners are fully across the stories, personalities and stakes before Race Day.
The partnership brings together one of the world’s oldest and most famous sporting and cultural events with one of the UK’s newest and fastest-growing radio stations, listened to by a highly engaged, culturally curious and affluent demographic.
Tim Levell, programme director of Times Radio, said: “We’re proud to partner with The Boat Race in a three-year deal through to 2028. The Boat Race is a brilliant fit for Times Radio and our listeners, for whom this is a much-loved annual tradition. We know they’ll look forward to tuning in on Race Day on Saturday 4 April, with all the buzz and atmosphere from the Thames and exclusive radio commentary of the races themselves. We’re especially delighted to support the Women’s Race as it approaches its centenary in 2027.”
Siobhan Cassidy, chair of The Boat Race Company, commented: “We’re delighted to announce Times Radio as our new radio partner on a multi-year deal commencing with this year’s Boat Race on Saturday 4 April. The Boat Race prides itself on heritage, tradition, precision and quality and these are values shared by the Times Radio team and their listeners, to whom we are incredibly excited to deliver live coverage and supporting content of this year’s and future events.”
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