The Cancer Research UK Boat Races on April 2 will be streamed live on YouTube for the first time. The Boat Races, which have a 188-year history, will be available globally on YouTube.

Over 250,000 people line the banks of the Thames on Race day and millions more watch the event live on the BBC in the UK every year but, with over a billion people globally on YouTube, this announcement will give one of Britain’s biggest sporting events the chance to be seen by many more across the world.

David Searle, Executive Director of The Boat Race Company Limited, said: “We are delighted to have this online opportunity and look forward to reaching out to our biggest ever global audience this year. We know there is global interest in the Races because of both its tradition and the sporting theatre it provides and we are very happy to be able to deliver it with YouTube.”

The Boat Races YouTube channel has produced four feature films this season ahead of The 2017 Boat Races, going behind the scenes with the squads as they prepared for the big day and the live feed from the Championship Course will get close to the heart of the action as they go head-to-head.

The 163rd Boat Race and The 72nd Women’s Boat Race will take place on Sunday 2nd April 2017. The Women’s Boat Race will start at 16:35, with The Boat Race an hour later at 17:35.