The first leg of horse racing’s Triple Crown had a slight decline in the overnights.
The race portion of the 2014 Kentucky Derby earned a 10.1 overnight rating on NBC Saturday, down 3% from last year (10.4), but up 12% from 2012 (9.0). The 10.1 overnight is tied as the fifth-highest for the Kentucky Derby since 1992 (10.9).
This year’s 10.1 marked the sixth time in the past decade (2004-14) that the Kentucky Derby has earned a double-digit overnight, compared to zero such occurrences in the previous decade (1993-03).
Locally, the race earned a 37.8 rating in Louisville — down 14% from last year (43.7). By comparison, Kentucky’s loss in the NCAA Tournament National Championship Game drew a 47.5 in the market.
(This year’s overnight from Sports Business Daily; historical overnights from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
