After hitting a six-year low in overnights last year, the Kentucky Derby surged to a 21-year high on Saturday.
The race portion of the 2013 Kentucky Derby drew a 10.4 overnight rating on NBC Saturday evening, up 16% from a 9.0 last year, and up 7% from a 9.7 in 2011.
The 10.4 overnight is tied with 2010 as the highest for the race portion of the Kentucky Derby since 1992 (10.9). This marks only the fifth time since 1992 that the race has earned a double-digit overnight, with all five taking place within the past nine years.
To put the numbers in perspective, the final round of The Masters earned a 10.2 overnight last month.
Louisville was far and away the top market for Saturday’s race, with a 43.7 rating. By comparison, the Louisville/Michigan NCAA Tournament title game drew a 54.0 in the market.
Ranking second was Ft. Myers, FL (19.7), with Cincinnati (18.8), Knoxville, TN (18.4) and West Palm Beach (18.4) rounding out the top five.
(Saturday’s numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
