Channel 4 is set to broadcast the Boat Races, adding to its sporting portfolio that includes Test cricket, the Tour de France, and the Paralympics. The Boat Races, an event contested by Oxford and Cambridge universities, have been part of the English calendar since 1829.
New Faces on the Broadcast Team
Clare Balding, previously the face of the BBC’s coverage, will present the Channel 4 broadcast. Jamie Laing and Ade Adepitan are also part of the on-screen team.
Pete Andrews, the head of sport at Channel 4, said the broadcaster is excited to showcase the event for everyone as a free-to-air public service broadcaster.
A Fresh Production Approach
FilmNova, the production company, brings four years’ experience from the BBC broadcasts and plans numerous innovations. Phil Sibson, the managing director, said to expect lots of relatable comparisons.
He added that they are putting together a fantasy boat with well-known sportspeople. According to Sibson, they’ve also really tried to humanise the rowers, taking them away from their colleges and doing some fun things.
Widening the Appeal
The BBC’s decision to drop the event and Channel 4’s acquisition of it, announced last October, led some to wonder if it is drifting into irrelevance. The organisers and Channel 4 maintain the switch will widen the event’s appeal and attract a new audience.
Siobhan Cassidy, chair of the Boat Race company, said that everyone will have earned their place at Oxford or Cambridge on academic ability and that they just happen to be incredibly hard-working, dedicated rowers.
In recent times the Boat Races have shone a light on the scandal of mismanagement at Thames Water, and the political issues at play when sewage is routinely pumped into Britain’s waterways.
Oxford Women Seek Victory
Oxford’s women, led by Olympic medallist Heidi Long, seek to end their long wait for victory.
Channel 4 has screened plenty of elite sport since launching in 1982.
Whether Laing is likely to attract younger viewers from a wider demographic is debatable. But the athletes are obviously key if the battle to increase popularity is to be won.