Derby Telecast Viewership Largest Since 1989
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Photo: Anne M. Eberhardt
NBC Sports
NBC Sports' coverage of the 143rd Kentucky Derby Presented by Yum! Brands (G1) May 6 at Churchill Downs posted numerous viewership milestones according to fast national data provided by The Nielsen Company and digital data from Adobe Analytics.
Always Dreaming's victory in the Kentucky Derby posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) average of 16.5 million viewers across NBC and NBC Sports Digital platforms, marking the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989 (18.5 million viewers for Sunday Silence's win on ABC).
TAD measures consumption across multiple platforms, combining the average minute audience for television and digital.
Following are viewership highlights from the Kentucky Derby
• TV-only Kentucky Derby viewership peaked at 19.1 million viewers from 6:45-7:00 p.m. ET when Always Dreaming crossed the finish line 2 3/4 lengths ahead of Lookin at Lee, up 7% from the peaks of the past two Kentucky Derby races, won by Nyquist in 2016 and Triple Crown winner American Pharoah in 2015 (17.9 million for both).
• The 143rd Kentucky Derby (6:24-7:11 p.m. ET) on NBC averaged 16.4 million TV-only viewers with a 9.3/22 HH rating, up 6% and 3% respectively from last year.
• Saturday's Kentucky Derby is television's most-watched Saturday afternoon program since the NFC Divisional Playoff (Jan. 14, 2017).
• This is the fifth consecutive year and seventh time in nine years (2009, 2010, 2013-17) that NBC's Kentucky Derby coverage averaged more than 15 million viewers. NBC's five-year streak (2013-17) averaging more than 15 million viewers is the only such Kentucky Derby stretch in People Meter history.
• NBC Sports Digital's presentation of the Kentucky Derby ranks as the most-streamed Kentucky Derby ever, delivering 9 million minutes, up 30% from last year. The stream also delivered a record 281,000 unique users. The average minute audience (AMA) for the Kentucky Derby via the NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com was 97,800 viewers.
• Louisville, the home of the Kentucky Derby, topped the metered markets with a 39.0 rating/65 share.
KENTUCKY DERBY VIEWERSHIP (*TV + Digital)
2017 16.543 million* NBC Always Dreaming
2016 15.6 million* NBC Nyquist
2015 16.1 million* NBC American Pharoah
2014 15.3 million NBC California Chrome
2013 16.2 million NBC Orb
2012 14.8 million NBC I'll Have Another
2011 14.5 million NBC Animal Kingom
2010 16.498 million NBC Super Saver
2009 16.1 million NBC Mine That Bird
2008 14.2 million NBC Big Brown
2007 13.7 million NBC Street Sense
2006 12.9 million NBC Barbaro
2005 13.6 million NBC Giacomo
2004 14.6 million NBC Smarty Jones
2003 11.8 million NBC Funny Cide
2002 12.8 million NBC War Emblem
2001 13.5 million NBC Monarchos
2000 9.1 million ABC Fusaichi Pegasus
1999 9.9 million ABC Charismatic
1998 9.5 million ABC Real Quiet
1997 11.3 million ABC Silver Charm
1996 11.0 million ABC Grindstone
1995 9.3 million ABC Thunder Gulch
1994 12.2 million ABC Go For Gin
1993 11.5 million ABC Sea Hero
1992 13.7 million ABC Lil E Tee
1991 13.4 million ABC Strike The Gold
1990 15.6 million ABC Unbridled
1989 18.5 million ABC Sunday Silence
TOP METERED MARKETS FOR 2017 KENTUCKY DERBY (Race Portion)
1. Louisville 39.0/65
2. Ft. Myers 21.3/39
3. Cincinnati 18.8/37
4. Buffalo 17.9/31
5. Knoxville 17.0/28
6. Dayton 16.2/29
7. Pittsburgh 15.5/30
8. Cleveland 15.1/29
9. Richmond 15.0/29
10. West Palm Beach 14.8/27
11. Columbus 14.6/28
12. Indianapolis 14.0/27
13. Baltimore 13.5/28
14. Greenville 13.2/21
15. Philadelphia 13.0/24
16. Orlando 12.7/25
T17. Milwaukee 12.5/28
T17. Nashville 12.5/21
19. Washington, DC 12.4/26
20. Detroit 12.2/24