NBC Derby Coverage Averages 16 Million Viewers
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
(L-R): Owner Rich Dawson, trainer Eric Reed, and NBC's Nick Luck after Rich Strike's upset in the Kentucky Derby at Churchill Downs
NBC Sports' presentation of the 148th Kentucky Derby Presented by Woodford Reserve (G1) May 7 at Churchill Downs, a thriller won by 80-1 longshot Rich Strike , averaged a total audience delivery of 16 million viewers—marking the eighth consecutive year that the event topped the 15 million mark, excluding pandemic-impacted events.
With 16 million viewers, the 2022 Kentucky Derby was the most-watched Run for the Roses since 2019. Viewership peaked at 19 million viewers from 7-7:15 p.m. ET on NBC, shortly after Rich Strike mounted his astounding closing charge to cross the finish line as the winner. This was the largest Kentucky Derby peak audience since 2017, exceeding the 18.5 million for the 2019 disqualification of Maximum Security that elevated Country House to first.
The TV-only average audience of 15.8 million viewers is NBC's most-watched program since Super Bowl Sunday.
NBC reported the overhead replay of the race with Larry Collmus' call has been viewed more than 36 million times—a record for a Derby clip—across NBC Sports' flagship Facebook, Twitter, Instagram, and TikTok handles and the NBC Sports YouTube channel.
Led by Peacock, which live-streamed the Kentucky Derby for the first time, the event posted a record average minute audience of 247,300 viewers across NBCUniversal streaming platforms.
Louisville, Ft. Myers, Cincinnati, West Palm Beach, Buffalo, and Baltimore were the top-metered markets for television coverage of the Derby.