In an era where sports fans have seen well-known properties move from different networks and from linear to streaming, the Kentucky Derby will remain in a familiar location for the foreseeable future.
NBC Sports and Churchill Downs Incorporated announced an extension of their partnership Saturday morning. This means the Kentucky Derby will air on NBC and Peacock until 2032.
This expansion will make NBC the longest-running home of the Kentucky Derby. NBCUniversal began broadcasting the event in 2001 and will have broadcast 32 editions of the Kentucky Derby (2001 to 2032) at the conclusion of this agreement. The expansion includes multi-platform rights to Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks and Derby and Oaks Day programming.
ABC broadcast the Derby from 1975 to 2000, while CBS broadcast the race from 1952 to 1974. NBC owns the rights to the Derby and the Preakness. Fox acquired the rights to the Belmont Stakes in 2022 and has a contract to broadcast this race until 2030.
Coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby begins on NBC at 2:30 p.m. ET. The race is scheduled to begin at 6:57 p.m. ET. Fierceness, the bay colt who scored a 13 1/2 victory in the Florida Derby, is the favorite in the morning line.
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“My first show was a two-hour show in 2001, and we covered the Kentucky Derby for two hours to cover a two-minute race,” said NBC reporter Donna Brothers, who covered all 24 Kentucky Derbys for NBC Sports. “We are now two days in, with 7:30 on Derby day. I think we’re going to spend five or six hours on Oaks, and we’re still not able to tell all the stories because there are so many great stories to tell.
“Telling the rich stories surrounding the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May is part of the fabric of NBC Sports, and we are excited to continue that tradition with Churchill Downs,” Rick Cordella, president of NBC Sports, said in a statement.
The Derby has long been an important event among television viewers. Since 2010, NBC Sports has averaged 15.6 million viewers for the Kentucky Derby across all platforms except for the 2020 COVID-19 year, when the race was held in September.
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Last year’s race on NBC, won by Mage, averaged 14.8 million viewers on TV and Peacock, up from 16 million in 2022. The race peaked at 16.6 million viewers when Mage crossed the finish line. In terms of audience, the Derby is still a unique event because it attracts a more female audience (around 51%) than men.
Follow Athleticism‘s live blog for more on the Kentucky Derby and Saturday’s action.
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(Photo: Jamie Squire/Getty Images)