NBC earned one of the largest audiences for The Preakness Stakes in the past two decades.
The race portion of the 2014 Preakness Stakes earned a 6.0 final rating and 9.6 million viewers on NBC Saturday afternoon, up a tick in ratings and down 1% in viewership from last year (5.9, 9.7M), and up 15% and 17%, respectively, from 2012 (5.2, 8.1M).
Saturday’s telecast ranks as the highest rated Preakness since 2009 (6.8), and the fifth-most viewed since 1990 — trailing only last year, 2006 (10.1M), 2009 (10.9M) and 2004 (11.6M) in the latter category.
The race also finished well ahead of other years when the Kentucky Derby winner also won the Preakness, topping I’ll Have Another‘s victory in 2012, Big Brown in 2008 (7.9M), Funny Cide in 2003 (8.6M) and War Emblem in 2002 (9.2M). Only Smarty Jones‘ Preakness victory in 2004 drew a larger audience, attracting 11.6 million viewers.
Though none of those horses were able to complete the Triple Crown, The Belmont Stakes earned strong-to-massive numbers in each of those years but 2012 — when I’ll Have Another dropped out at the last minute. Viewership ranged from 12.4 million for War Emblem’s failed attempt in 2002 to a whopping 21.9 million for Smarty Jones in 2004. That bodes well for California Chrome‘s upcoming attempt at becoming the first Triple Crown winner since Affirmed in 1978.
(Numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
