Kentucky Derby television ratings decline compared to 2019

The NBC-TV broadcast of the Kentucky Derby on Saturday had a 7.1 rating and a 22 share, according to the network, figures that represent a decline from the broadcast of the race in 2019, the last time it was held on the first Saturday in May.

In 2019, the race portion of the broadcast had a 9.8 rating and a 25 share. Last year, when the Derby was held on Sept. 5 due to the coronavirus pandemic, the broadcast had a 4.8 rating and a 14 share.

In the past two years, networks have begun transitioning to different figures for determining audiences for broadcasts due to the proliferation of devices enabling video streaming. According to NBC, this year’s Derby had a “total audience delivery” of 14.8 million viewers, compared to 9.4 million last year.

NBC said that the Derby broadcast was its “most watched broadcast” since the NFL divisional playoffs in January. Viewership peaked at 15.7 million viewers as the race was being run, the network said.

The top market for the broadcast was Louisville, with a 28.7 rating and a 59 share. This year, Churchill limited attendance to approximately one-third of capacity, and the track sold only a limited number of general-admission tickets, all of which were restricted to the infield.

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