Major Kentucky Derby News Revealed on Sunday

Yahoo

05-05-2025

In a landmark development for both sports broadcasting and horse racing, NBC Sports and Peacock made a huge announcement on Sunday.
Their telecast of the 151st Kentucky Derby delivered record viewership figures, cementing the 'Run for the Roses' as one of America's premier sporting spectacles.
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NBC's milestone 25th presentation of the Derby averaged 17.7 million viewers across NBC and Peacock, a 6% increase over last year and the highest audience since 1989, when Sunday Silence captured 18.5 million viewers.
The broadcast peaked at 21.8 million viewers between 7:00 and 7:15 p.m. ET, marking the strongest quarter‑hour performance in NBC Sports history.
On‑track, Sovereignty, sent off at 7‑1, capitalized on a blistering early pace to overtake Journalism in the stretch and win by 1 1/2 lengths in 2:02.31 on a rain‑soaked Churchill Downs surface.
Peacock streaming set new standards as well, delivering an average minute audience of 959,000, up 34% year‑over‑year and nearly tripling the 2023 figure (371,000).
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The combined linear and digital performance underscores the Derby's broad appeal across demographics.
Churchill Downs, site of the 151st Kentucky Derby. © Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
Looking ahead, Sovereignty will head to the 150th Preakness Stakes at Pimlico on May 17 (4 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock), with Triple Crown aspirations.
Should the 7‑1 winner prevail again, the Belmont Stakes on June 7 will draw even greater scrutiny and potentially encore the blockbuster audiences seen this weekend.
For NBC Sports, the record numbers reinforce its status as the home of premier horse racing.
For the sport, the ratings surge signals a resurgence of mainstream interest in Thoroughbred racing.
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