If still on the low side historically, Kentucky Derby ratings surged ahead of last year’s all-time lows.
The race portion of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby averaged a 7.1 rating and 14.37 million viewers on NBC, up 48% in ratings and 55% in viewership from last year’s months-delayed, record-low race (4.8, 9.26M) but down 24% and 12% respectively from the previous May edition in 2019 (9.4, 16.34M).
Viewership peaked at 15.7 million during the quarter-hour encompassing the race, up from last year’s peak of 9.8 million, but down from the rare postrace peak of 18.5 million in 2019.
Excluding football games, Medina Spirit’s win delivered the third-largest sports audience since the industry went dark in March of last year, trailing only last month’s Baylor-Gonzaga NCAA men’s basketball national championship (16.92M) and Gonzaga-UCLA in the Final Four (14.94M). The Derby actually accounts for two of the top ten, with last year’s record-low edition tenth.
It averaged more viewers than Thursday’s opening round of the NFL Draft (12.52M), which is not an abnormal occurrence (last year marked the first and only time that the Draft outdrew the Derby). It also comfortably topped the recent Academy Awards (10.40M).
The Derby was the second marquee sporting event to return to its normal time of year after being pushed months out of schedule in 2020. Last month’s final round of the Masters surged 62% in ratings and 69% in viewership over last year’s November edition, but still ranked as the lowest rated and least-watched in the month of April since 1957 and 1993, respectively.
Similarly, this year’s Derby still ranks as the lowest rated May edition since NBC acquired the rights (dates back to 2001) and the least-watched in 13 years.
If a small sample size, the Derby and Masters indicate that sporting events pushed months out of schedule last year can expect a significant increase in ratings this year — but still remain in record-low territory. That may be especially true for the NBA Finals and Stanley Cup Final, which are scheduled to take place about a month later than usual this year.
Louisville led all markets for Saturday’s race with a 28.7 rating and whopping 59 share, meaning 59% of TVs in use were tuned to the race in the average minute. Those figures were still down 27% and 14% respectively from 2019 (39.5/69). Last year’s local numbers were not immediately available.
Ft. Myers, Fla., ranked second at an 18.2/36 (-3%). Knoxville, Tenn. placed third at a 16.2 (-9%) and 30 (even), followed by West Palm Beach, Fla. at a 15.5 (-9%) and 35 (+13%). Cincinnati rounded out the top five with a 15.1 (-26%) and 36 (-5%).
Most-watched non-football sporting events since hiatus
[Nielsen estimates from ShowBuzz Daily 5.4, NBC Sports PR/Twitter 5.4]
