Live coverage of the University Boat Race will return to the BBC in 2010 after a six-year absence.
A new five-year-deal means that the BBC will broadcast the event on television and radio as well as the BBC Sport website, BBC iPlayer and BBC World.
The race is one of Britain's top five televised sporting events – alongside events such as the FA Cup final.
The BBC's director of sport, Roger Mosey, said the corporation were delighted to have it back.
“It still has a huge audience, last year on ITV it still had between seven and eight million, and that is a huge audience in sports terms,” he said.
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