The end of the longest Triple Crown drought in history could not quite match last year in the overnights.
The race portion of The Belmont Stakes, won by American Pharoah to clinch the first Triple Crown since Affirmed in 1978, earned a 12.3 overnight rating on NBC Saturday evening — down 5% from California Chrome‘s failed Triple Crown bid last year (12.9) and up 167% from 2013, when no Triple Crown was at stake (4.6).
The 12.3 overnight is the third-highest on record for the race (dates back to 1988), behind only last year and Smarty Jones‘ failed bid in 2004 (15.6).
The lower number may seem surprising, but keep in mind last year’s race likely benefited from relative novelty — it was the first Triple Crown attempt in six years and only the second in a decade.
(Sat. numbers from NBC Sports Group Press Box)
