Breeders' Cup TV Ratings Behind Leading Football Games

NBC's coverage of the Breeders' Cup Nov. 4 registered a .51 Nielsen Rating, reflecting approximately 834,000 television viewers, according to statistics published by Sports Media Watch. The rating ranked the Breeders' Cup among the top 25 sports programs televised Saturday but far behind the most-watched events.

Breeders' Cup viewership Nov. 3 for Future Stars Friday registered a .11 rating on USA. Television ratings for Friday sports are typically lower than on weekends.  

NBC's Breeders' Cup coverage was hosted by Ahmed Fareed, with analysis and reporting from Jerry Bailey, Randy Moss, Kenny Rice, and others.

The Breeders' Cup is not as watched as some other major sporting events, such as primetime college football games involving ranked teams.

The Triple Crown has the highest television viewership of domestic horse racing events.

This year, for the first time, the Breeders' Cup Classic (G1) was not the final Breeders' Cup race, owing to the Breeders' Cup taking place on the West Coast in Southern California and NBC's commitment to Big Ten college football coverage that began at 7 p.m. ET. White Abarrio  won the Classic at 3:43 p.m. PT or 6:43 p.m. ET.

The final two Breeders' Cup races on Saturday, the Breeders' Cup Turf Sprint (G1T) and Breeders' Cup Sprint (G1), were available on NBC's Peacock streaming service.

Following the Breeders' Cup, viewership on NBC rose to a .9 rating for B1G College Countdown and then to 1.4 for the Purdue at Michigan college football game.