Absent the participants in this year’s Kentucky Derby drama, Preakness Stakes ratings fell to the lowest point since NBC acquired rights.
Saturday’s race segment of the Preakness Stakes earned a 3.4 rating and 5.41 million viewers on NBC, down 29% in ratings and 31% in viewership from last year (4.8, 7.90M) and down 26% and 28% respectively from 2017 (4.6, 7.54M).
War of Will‘s win ranks as the lowest rated and least-watched Preakness since the race moved to NBC in 2001. The previous lows were set in 2017.
Overall, it tops only the 2017 Belmont Stakes (3.2, 4.92M) as the lowest rated and least-watched Triple Crown race ever on NBC (51 telecasts).
The Preakness faced headwinds usually suffered only by the Belmont: the absence of a Derby winner, and with it, any hope of a Triple Crown. This year marked the first time since 1996 that the Kentucky Derby winner did not participate in the Preakness. Both Country House and Maximum Security — who won and finished first at the Derby, respectively — skipped the race.
Despite the lower numbers, the Preakness earned a higher rating and more viewers than Sunday’s final round of the PGA Championship (3.3, 5.01M). Keep in mind that the Preakness race segment lasted approximately one hour while the PGA Championship ran for five.
Lowest rated and least-watched Triple Crown races on NBC
| Lowest Rated | Least watched | ||||||
| # | Year | Race | Rtg | # | Year | Race | Vwrs |
| 1 | 2017 | Belmont | 3.2 | 1 | 2017 | Belmont | 4.9M |
| 2 | 2019 | Preakness | 3.4 | 2 | 2019 | Preakness | 5.4M |
| 3 | 2016 | Belmont | 3.7 | 3 | 2016 | Belmont | 5.8M |
| 4 | 2011 | Belmont | 4.3 | T4 | 2011 | Belmont | 6.8M |
| 5 | 2013 | Belmont | 4.5 | 2001 | Belmont | 6.8M | |
[Numbers from ShowBuzz Daily 5.21]
