On the morning of the Kentucky Derby, NBC Sports has announced a media rights extension to keep the event for another eight years.
NBC Sports announced Saturday that it has reached an agreement with Churchill Downs Incorporated to continue carrying the Kentucky Derby through 2032. By the end of the deal, NBC will have carried the event for more consecutive years (32) than any other network, having begun its tenure in 2001.
There are no significant changes to Derby coverage in the new deal, as the race will continue to air on NBC’s flagship network and Peacock.
The Derby deal ensures that the Triple Crown horse races will continue air on different networks for the foreseeable future. Fox Sports owns rights to The Belmont Stakes through 2031 and has for years been mentioned as potential contender for the Derby. NBC had to hold off Fox to extend its Derby deal as far back as 2010.
As for the remaining Triple Crown race, NBC last extended its deal to carry The Preakness Stakes in 2015. Reports at the time indicated that it was a seven-year deal, which would have put its expiration around 2022. Obviously, NBC has continued to air the race in the years since.
Over nearly a quarter-century on NBC, the Derby has maintained its position as one of the most-watched sporting events of the year and a valuable lead-in for other NBC Sports programming.
