The Boat Race 2005 on ITV

ITV have began promoting their coverage of The Boat Race with quite a lengthy and stylish promo just before Corrie.

Don't know when it is - usually early April - or what time ITV are screening it.

IIRC they left the BBC because they did silly things like move it to a Sunday - and last year had it early evening around 6pm - but it pulled in millions of viewers. Therefore I'd imagine ITV would be considering a similar slot.

Two weeks today - Sun 27 March. I'm guessing they'll keep it as close to dusk as possible to maximise viewers.

ITV1 on Sunday 27 March @ 2 p.m. Race starts at 3.05 p.m and lasts for about 20 minutes.
The trailers have been running for a few days now, and have been aired several times today. I found them too long and very irritating.

And anyone who wants to listen to it on the radio will have to travel down to London because only LBC are broadcasting it

This time last year there were lots of ITV producers "casting an eye" over the BBC OBs/BBC Sport coverage and muttering that they couldn't afford this and couldn't afford that.

Be interesting to see if :

1. BBC OBs have retained the facilities contract, as they did when ITV got the rights to Formula 1. (Yep the BBC provide all the OB facilities for ITV1's location presentation in Europe, and in years gone by have covered the British Grand Prix for ITV1 as host broadcasters, though I think F1 may now provider their own coverage?)

2. Whether the facilities this year are retained over the following couple of years. ITV will no doubt try to better the Beeb's coverage of last year, but whether this is the case next year or the year after remains to be seen.

Historically the Beeb have always thrown resources at the coverage - it is quite tricky to cover as it requires lots of radio cameras, specialist micro-cams and micro-radio links, clever stabilised lenses, Gyro stabilised helicopter camerass, and a production team who know what they are doing. Be interesting to see how ITV cover it over the next few years - I suspect this year's ratings will dictate next year's budget?

Of course if ITV buy in BBC OBs then they will get most of this...

What's the betting they'll have an advert break in the middle of the race?

If they show it live then i very much doubt they would have an add break right in the middle of it. It only lasts about 20 mins. If its not live then they will probably fit a good 3 breaks in it just like they do Formula 1.

Oh my goodness, the lack of intelligence of some of you lot never ceases to amaze me.

They'll keep it as close to HIGH TIDE as possible, just as they have for the hundred odd years since it started.

It's all to do with how much water's in the bloomin' river and which way it's flowing. It has NOTHING to do with television scheduling.

Which is the reason why they had to change it to a Sunday in the past, I believe.

Not sure about the Saturday to Sunday move, James.

High tide's only going to be about an hour later on the Sunday, isn't it?

That MIGHT have been to do with scheduling. Doesn't the Boat Race date clash with the Grand National date every so many, possibly seven, years?

They could jazz it up a bit - have them rowing on the top of the Severn Bore!

Oh, God, MORE blood and hair in the keyboard.


The Boat Race is on the THAMES, dear.