Kentucky Derby ratings were on the low side historically, though the event remains one of the biggest non-football draws in sports.
Saturday’s race portion of the Kentucky Derby averaged a 6.9 rating and 14.4 million viewers on NBC, per Nielsen fast-nationals — down 10% in ratings and 9% in viewership from last year (7.7, 15.79M). Including an additional streaming audience of 347,000 on Peacock and other NBC digital platforms (+50%), the race averaged 14.8 million (-8%).
Outside of the months-delayed Labor Day weekend edition three years ago (9.3M), this year’s Kentucky Derby ranks as the least-watched on linear television since 2008 (14.2M). The across-all-platforms audience is the lowest since 2011 (14.54M). Keep in mind that is despite the inclusion of out-of-home viewing, which was not factored into Nielsen final nationals prior to 2020.
The 6.9 household rating — which by definition does not include out-of-home viewing — is the lowest for any Derby since NBC acquired the rights, again excluding the Labor Day weekend edition (4.8).
If low by historical standards, the Derby nonetheless ranks among the most-watched non-football sporting events in the past year, narrowly trailing the NCAA men’s basketball national championship (UConn-San Diego State: 14.7M) and ahead of each game of the past three NBA Finals and World Series. It also delivered NBC’s largest audience since the NFL playoffs.
Viewership peaked at 16.6 million viewers from 7-7:15 PM ET — the quarter-hour including Mage’s win — down 13% from last year’s peak of 19.0 million during the same time period.
As usual, Louisville led all markets for the Derby with a 26.6 rating and 65 share — meaning that 65% of homes with television in use were tuned to the race. The rating declined 7% but the share increased 3%.
Cincinnati ranked second at a 16.3/46, on par with last year’s 16.2/45. Ratings fell 19% in third-place Ft. Myers, Fla. (from 18.7 to 15.2), but the share was flat at 41 — indicating that the drop in ratings was the result of fewer homes using television.
Knoxville (13.4/32) and West Palm Beach (13.2/32) rounded out the top five.
(Nielsen estimates from NBC Sports PR)
