The 150th Kentucky Derby takes place on May 4, but for NBC Sports, it’s a lot more than just a two-minute race. The company is set to broadcast 12½ live hours of coverage across NBC, Peacock and USA Network over two days, with 7½ hours taking place on Derby Day alone and more than 16 talent on hand.
NBC has had the broadcast for more than 20 years. In 2004, coverage consisted of a 90-minute live broadcast on NBC, the second year it was in HD. In 2014, the company aired 10 hours of live coverage across NBC and the now-shuttered NBC Sports Network.
For the first time, Peacock was set to livestream the Opening Night at Churchill Downs Spring Meet with five hours of coverage on April 27, including the Kentucky Derby and Oaks draws.
“When I first started covering the Kentucky Derby in 2001, we created a two-hour show out of the ‘most exciting two minutes in sports’ by showing everything happening behind the scenes in the barn area, jockeys quarters, owners suites, etc., and I thought it was a great show,” said Donna Brothers, NBC’s longest-tenured commentator on the horse racing team. “The trick lies in keeping it exciting, and the NBC Sports team has managed to do that by keeping expectations high and finding new stories to tell. We now spend seven-plus hours showing and telling the story of that year’s Kentucky Derby, and while we are still unable to fit it all in within that time, we are showing the viewers so much more than we did when we first started and so much more than they could see if they were at the Kentucky Derby in-person.”
NBC Sports also handles the international distribution of the Kentucky Derby, and this year, the company will have 16 networks covering the race in more than 170 countries, up from six networks/broadcasters in 2023.
“It continues to own a special place on not just the NBC Sports calendar, but the American entertainment calendar,” said Jon Miller, president of acquisitions and partnerships at NBC Sports. “Our numbers are incredibly strong, and it reigns as one of the highest-rated properties in the second quarter.”
Viewership for the race has significantly gained in the years since NBC has added coverage. In eight of the company’s 22 May broadcasts, the network topped 15 million viewers (including streaming), versus only once in the 1988-2000 broadcasts (1989 on ABC). Since 2010, NBC Sports has been averaging 15.6 million viewers for the Derby across all platforms, excluding the 2020 COVID event, which took place in September.
“It’s been a hand-in-glove relationship and not coincidental that as our coverage has increased so has track attendance and TV viewership,” said reporter Kenny Rice. “The emphasis on fashion, food, the human connections to the horses has expanded to showcase what it is — an event wrapped around a horse race.”
NBC uses the Derby to highlight its other properties as well, incorporating talent from across its roster. Rebecca Lowe will host the “Premiere League Live” studio show on-site at Churchill Downs, and former NBC Sports lead NHL analyst Eddie Olczyk will serve as handicapper on the Derby broadcast.
NBC News personality Steve Kornacki will be the insight analyst, and look for NBC News’ Dylan Dreyer, E! News’ Zanna Roberts Rassi and Telemundo Deportes’ Andres Cantor. Plus, “Fantasy Football Happy Hour” with Matthew Berry is shooting this week’s show at Churchill Downs.
“The Derby is one of the few sports where 50% of our audience is female, and that’s a pretty unique occurrence in sports television,” said Miller. “There’s such an anticipation for this event.”
