How to watch The Boat Race 2024: live stream Oxford vs Cambridge online

The Oxford and Cambridge teams under Barnes Bridge in the Boat Race.
(Image credit: TOLGA AKMEN/AFP via Getty Images)

One of the world’s oldest and most famous amateur sporting events, the 2024 Boat Race will once again see crews from the University of Oxford and the University of Cambridge commence battle on the River Thames. 

Read on and we'll show you how to watch the Boat Race from anywhere using a VPN – and potentially for FREE!

2024 Boat Race live stream, Date, Time, Channels

The 2024 Boat Race takes place on Saturday, March 30.
Time (women's race): 2.46 p.m. GMT / 10.46 a.m. ET / 7.46 a.m PT / 1.46 a.m. AEDT (Sunday, March 31)
Time (men's race): 3.46 p.m. GMT / 11.46 a.m. ET / 8.46 a.m PT / 2.46 a.m. AEDT (Sunday, March 31)
• FREE — BBC iPlayer (U.K.)
• U.S. / AUSOlympic Channel (FREE)
• Watch anywhere — try NordVPN 100% risk free

The ultimate rivalry continues as the world-famous sporting event between the UK’s two most prestigious universities sees Oxford (dark blues) out for revenge after Cambridge (light blues) dominated both the men’s and women’s races in 2023. 

Held on the Championship Course that stretches 6.8km from Putney to Mortlake in London, the race regularly attracts a crowd of more than 250,000 who line the shores of the river and provide plenty of vocal support. The women's race starts at 2.46 p.m. GMT, with the men's race starting an hour later at 3.46 p.m.

This will be the 169th edition of the men’s race and Cambridge hold a slight advantage having won 86 times. In the women’s race, the light blues start as overwhelming favourites in the 78th running of the famous event. 

Cambridge have triumphed on 47 occasions and last year secured a sixth consecutive victory as they finished a massive 4 ½ lengths ahead of rivals Oxford.

Will this be the year that Oxford claim the bragging rights or will Cambridge extend their winning run? Tune in to find out, but first, read to find out how to watch 2024 Boat Race live streams from anywhere. 

Watch the 2024 Boat Race for free

Rowing fans in the U.K. can watch the Boat Race for FREE on BBC One and its streaming service BBC iPlayer. Coverage starts at 2.00pm GMT.

But what if you live in the U.K. but aren't at home to watch the Boat Race live stream? Maybe you're on holiday and don't want to spend money on pay TV in another country, when you'd usually be able to watch for free at home?

Don't worry — you can watch it via a VPN instead. We'll show you how to do that below.

Watch the 2024 Boat Race from abroad

2024 Boat Race live streams will be shown on many different channels across the world, but what if you're not in your home country and want to watch it on your usual service?

You can still watch the 2024 Boat Race live thanks to the wonders of a VPN (Virtual Private Network). The software allows your devices to appear to be back in your home country regardless of where in the world you are, making it ideal for sports fans away on vacation or on business. Our favorite is NordVPN.

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There's a good reason you've heard of NordVPN. We specialize in testing and reviewing VPN services and NordVPN is the one we rate best. It's outstanding at unblocking streaming services, it's fast and it has top-level security features too. With over 5,000 servers, across 60 countries, and at a great price too, it's easy to recommend.

Get over 60% off with this NordVPN deal

Using a VPN is incredibly simple.

1. Install the VPN of your choice. As we've said, NordVPN is our favorite.

2. Choose the location you wish to connect to in the VPN app. For instance, if you're in the U.S. and want to view a U.K. service, you'd select U.K. from the list.

3. Sit back and enjoy the action. Head to BBC iPlayer or another service to watch the event. 

Watch the 2024 Boat Race in the U.S.

US flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Streaming information for the 2024 Boat Race is still being updated but currently those wanting to watch the rowing event in the U.S. can watch live streams on the Olympics TV channel. 

It is FREE to sign up and it will be broadcasting all the action from the River Thames. 

If you already use the services but aren't in the U.S. right now, you can watch a 2024 Boat Race live stream by using a VPN such as NordVPN.

Watch the 2024 Boat Race in the U.K.

British flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

If you live in the U.K. then you can enjoy every single minute of the 2024 Boat Race without spending a penny — provided you already have a valid U.K. TV Licence.

The full event will be broadcast live on BBC One, with a live stream available on BBC iPlayer. That means you can watch every single moment of the action without needing a streaming service subscription or having to pay a box office fee. 

All sounds great, right? But if you're not in the U.K., you can still follow a 2024 Boat Race live stream by using one of the best VPN services, such as NordVPN.

Watch the 2024 Boat Race in Australia

Australian flag

(Image credit: Shutterstock)

Streaming information for the 2024 Boat Race is still being updated but currently those wanting to watch the rowing event in Australia can watch live streams on the Olympics TV channel.

It is FREE to sign up and it will be broadcasting all the action from London.

Not in Australia right now? You can simply use a VPN, such as NordVPN,  to watch all the action as if you were back home.

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Adrian Back

Adrian is a freelance journalist and copywriter based in the UK. He’s written about sport for a wide range of publications including World Soccer Magazine, Newsweek, Yahoo and FourFourTwo. Having covered everything from the NBA Finals and French Open to the London Olympics and F1 in Abu Dhabi, his great passion remains soccer – a sport he could write and talk about all day long.