Final Preakness rating dips

The final rating for Saturday's Preakness Stakes broadcast on NBC was a 4.9, down 9.3 percent from a 5.4 final rating for last year's telecast, according to figures released by NBC on Thursday.

Each rating point equals approximately 1.1 million households. Last year's rating of a 5.4 was up 6 percent compared with 2005.

This year's broadcast, which ran from 5 p.m. Eastern until 6:50 p.m., drew a share of 13, down 8 percent from the 14 share last year. Share is a measure of the number of televisions in use tuned to a broadcast.

Ratings for the broadcast of the Kentucky Derby two weeks before the Preakness were up 7 percent.