THE Boat Race won’t be aired on the BBC this year for the first time in nearly a CENTURY.
The BBC has proudly called itself the home of the annual rowing race between Cambridge and Oxford since the early 1920s.
But the Beeb have lost all the rights to one of the biggest events in the British sporting calendar.
It will now be aired live on Channel 4 after the broadcasting powerhouse agreed a five-year deal for the race’s television rights.
The BBC also won’t air the race on the radio, as they have done for so many years.
Times Radio, according to The Telegraph, have nabbed the race’s radio rights.
And they are said to have picked them up FREE.
This isn’t the first time The Boat Race has had separate and radio and television deals.
ITV had the television rights from 2005 until 2009, while LBC held the radio rights from 2005 until 2010.
The BBC’s decision to ditch The Boat Race was reportedly in part due to the company’s director of sport, Alex Kay-Jelski, viewing it as “elitist”.
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A source told The Telegraph: “The head of sport showed very little enthusiasm, believing that a showcase for London, the UK and two of our top universities is elitist.”
It was announced last October that the Beeb would no longer air The Boat Race on the tele.
They claimed that relinquishing the rights was one of several “difficult choices” they had to make due to financial constraints.
A statement read: “The BBC has been proud to broadcast the Boat Race over many years.
“Our decision not to continue reflects the difficult choices we need to make to ensure we deliver the best value for audiences with the money that we have.
“We are pleased the Boat Race will remain available free-to-air and wish all involved in the event every success for the future.”
