NBC Sports Reports Strong Kentucky Derby Numbers

NBC Sports' presentation of the 147th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) May 1 at Churchill Downs averaged a Total Audience Delivery of 14.5 million viewers as the Run for the Roses returned to its traditional first Saturday in May date.

The TAD numbers mark a 54% increase from last year's event (9.4 million for the rescheduled Sept. 5 Derby), according to official national data provided by Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.

Viewership peaked at 15.7 million viewers from 6:45-7 p.m. ET on NBC as Medina Spirit  mounted a wire-to-wire victory and trainer Bob Baffert won the event for a record seventh time.

How big are those numbers? According to NBC, the TV-only average audience of 14.4 million viewers topped all entertainment awards shows for the first time ever and marked NBC's most watched broadcast since the NFL Divisional Playoffs in January. 

The event also fared well on digital platforms. NBC Sports Digital's presentation of the Kentucky Derby delivered a record Average Minute Audience of 139,300 viewers for the event via the NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com. 

The NBC-TV household rating for the broadcast (6:31-7:18 p.m.) was a 7.1/22. Those numbers were down from the most recent Derby conducted the first Saturday of May. In 2019, Country House  's victory in the Run for the Roses delivered a 10.9/25 overnight rating. That 2019 Derby matched 1992 as the best overnight for a Kentucky Derby since 1992.

In less than two weeks, Kentucky Derby winner Medina Spirit attempts the next step in his Triple Crown quest. NBC Sports' coverage of the 146th Preakness Stakes (G1) from Pimlico Race Course in Baltimore begins Friday, May 14, at 5 p.m. on NBCSN. NBC presents the Preakness Stakes Saturday, May 15, at 5 p.m., with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. on NBCSN.

TOP METERED MARKETS FOR 2021 KENTUCKY DERBY (Race Portion)