With no possibility of a traditional Triple Crown winner, The Belmont Stakes performed relatively well last Saturday.
The race segment of The Belmont Stakes drew a 4.4/11 final rating and 6.6 million viewers on ABC last Saturday afternoon, down 51% and 55%, respectively, from a 9.0 and 14.6 million for last year’s race, which featured Big Brown going for the Triple Crown. Compared to the last Belmont that did not feature the possibility of a Triple Crown winner, the 4.4 rating marks a 38% increase from a 3.2 in ’07.
The 4.4 rating is the highest for a non-Triple Crown Belmont since ’05, when the race drew a 5.4.
Overall, the three Triple Crown races averaged a 7.0 rating on NBC and ABC, down only 10% from last year’s 7.8, and up 19% from a 5.9 for the three races in ’07.
Ratings/viewers for the race segment of The Belmont Stakes since ’00.
| Year | Winner | Net | Rating | Viewership |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2009 | Summer Bird | ABC | ||
| 2008 | Da’ Tara | ABC | ||
| 2007 | Rags to Riches | ABC | ||
| 2006 | Jazil | ABC | ||
| 2005 | Afleet Alex | NBC | ||
| 2004 | Birdstone | NBC | ||
| 2003 | Empire Maker | NBC | ||
| 2002 | Sarava | NBC | ||
| 2001 | Point Given | NBC | ||
| 2000 | Commendable | NBC |
