Presenter will continue to front coverage after it moved to a new broadcaster

FilmNova EMG BBC Boat Race (1)

Clare Balding will continue to front coverage of the Boat Race, after it moved from the BBC to Channel 4.

Channel 4 picked up the rights to the annual event in a five-year deal signed last October, and will have its first race on 4 April. Channel 4 head of sport Pete Andrews spoke to Broadcast Sport about the strategy behind the deal shortly after its announcement, and you can read that here. 

Balding will present the broadcaster’s coverage alongside Ade Adepitan, with commentary from Alex Jacques, who is largely known for his work on F1. Olympic gold-medal winning rower Martin Cross and Olympic silver-medal winning rower Jess Eddie will be on co-commentary, with three-time Olympic gold medalist Pete Reed OBE on pundit duty. 

Along with Balding, continuity with the BBC’s coverage is also shown by Filmnova continuing to produce the Boat Race, with Lucy Cutler and Phil Sibson as executive producers. Gravity Media will continue as technical partners, which they had previously provided under the guise of EMG. 

The Boat Race will air from 13:30 to 16:30 on Channel 4 and Channel 4 Streaming on 4 April. 

Pete Andrews, head of sport at Channel 4, said: “We are very excited to be broadcasting the Race on Channel 4 for the first time and, as we get closer to Race Day, it’s a thrill to confirm our team to present this historic race for us. I’m delighted Clare Balding and Ade Adepitan will be joining us on the banks of the Thames, along with the brilliant commentating talent of Alex Jacques and a gang of expert pundits, plus we’ll be adding in more Channel 4 faces as we build up to the big day, too.”