Preakness TV viewership up sharply from 2025

Viewership for the Preakness Stakes telecast on NBC Saturday spiked considerably over last year’s program despite the lack of the Kentucky Derby winner and a relatively lackluster field, according to figures provided by the network on Wednesday.

Viewership peaked at 7.1 million for the race portion of the broadcast, well above peak viewership of 5.9 million for last year’s race. Average viewership this year was just over 5.5 million, according to NBC, the highest number for the race since 2021 and sharply up over the 4.6 million average viewership last year.

Last year, the Kentucky Derby winner also skipped the Preakness, a factor that was thought to have contributed to a sharp decline in the viewership figures for the broadcast compared to 2024.

This year’s numbers were roughly equal to the 2024 broadcast, which had average viewership of just under 5.5 million. That broadcast peaked at 7 million viewers, NBC said.

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