In potentially the final race for Triple Crown winner American Pharoah, the Travers Stakes scored its largest audience in two decades.
Coverage of the Breeders Cup Challenge Travers Stakes earned 2.0 million viewers on NBC Saturday afternoon, up 104% from last year (981K) and the largest audience for the event in two decades — since ABC drew 3.4 million in 1995. The telecast drew 2.5 million during its second hour, peaking at 3.4 million during the final 20 minutes.
The race was the second for American Pharoah since winning the Triple Crown at The Belmont Stakes. His win at the Haskell Invitational four weeks earlier also drew 2.0 million viewers, up 102% from last year and the most-watched race between the Triple Crown and the Breeders Cup in 13 years.
Keep in mind the Haskell Invitational aired for just one hour while the Travers Stakes aired for two. Had the 5-6 hour of the Travers Stakes counted as a standalone program, it would have supplanted the Haskell as the top summer race since 2002.
Including the Belmont Oaks* (743K, +379%) and Whitney Handicap (994K, +41%) all four Breeders Cup Challenge telecasts on NBC have had at least a 40% increase in viewership.
* This year’s Belmont Oaks viewership is compared to last year on NBCSN.
(Sat. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
