FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, May 6th, 2019
NBC SPORTS’ COVERAGE OF DRAMATIC KENTUCKY DERBY AVERAGES 16.5 MILLION VIEWERS & LEADS INTO SECOND-MOST WATCHED NON-STANLEY CUP FINAL NHL GAME ON RECORD
NBC’s TV-Only Kentucky Derby Averaged 18.0 Million Viewers as Maximum Security & Country House Crossed Finish Line, Before Peaking at 18.5 Million Viewers for Post-Race Coverage from 7-7:15 PM ET
Total Audience Delivery for Blue Jackets-Bruins Game 5 Averages 4.618 Million Viewers, Up 7% vs. Comparable 2018 Game; Game 6 TONIGHT at 7 PM ET on NBCSN
Kentucky Derby is Most-Watched Saturday Program on Any Network since NFL Divisional Playoffs in January
NBC Sports Digital Sets Kentucky Derby Record
STAMFORD, Conn. – May 6, 2019 – NBC Sports’ presentation of the 145th Kentucky Derby on NBC followed immediately by the primetime Columbus Blue Jackets-Boston Bruins Stanley Cup Playoff Game 5 on Saturday posted multiple viewership increases and milestones, according to fast national data provided by Nielsen and digital data from Adobe Analytics.
The victory by Country House in the “Run for the Roses” posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 16.5 million viewers across NBC and NBC Sports Digital platforms – up 10% from last year’s race (15.0 million) featuring eventual Triple Crown winner Justify, and marking television’s largest Saturday audience since the NFL Divisional Playoffs (Jan. 12, 2019). NBC Sports Digital’s presentation of the Kentucky Derby delivered a record Average Minute Audience (AMA) of 130,400 viewers for the event via the NBC Sports app and NBCSports.com.
NBC averaged 18.0 million TV-only Kentucky Derby viewers when Maximum Security and Country House crossed the finish line in the 6:45-7 p.m. ET quarter hour, before peaking at 18.5 million viewers for the dramatic post-race coverage on NBC from 7-7:15 p.m. ET.
NBC Sports has averaged at least 15 million viewers for the Kentucky Derby for seven consecutive years – the longest streak for the event in People Meter history (since 1988).
Leading out of the historic Kentucky Derby coverage, Columbus-Boston Game 5 of the Second Round of the 2019 Stanley Cup Playoffs averaged a TAD of 4.618 million viewers in primetime on NBC, making it the second-most watched non-Stanley Cup Final NHL game on record (since 1993). The game trails only Game 7 of the 2015 Western Conference Final between Chicago and Anaheim (4.636 million).
Viewership for Columbus-Boston Game 5 was up 7% vs. last year’s Pittsburgh-Washington Game 5 (4.318 million), which also followed Kentucky Derby coverage.
Columbus delivered a 15.2 local rating for Game 5, NBC Sports’ highest rating on record for an NHL game in the market. Boston scored a 15.1 rating. Following are the Top 5 markets for Columbus-Boston Game 5:
| Rank | Market | Rating |
| 1 | Columbus | 15.2 |
| 2 | Boston | 15.1 |
| 3 | Providence | 12.5 |
| 4 | Louisville | 9.0 |
| 5 | Buffalo | 6.8 |
Game 6 of the series begins tonight at 7 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
144TH PREAKNESS STAKES ON NBC SPORTS, MAY 18: In two weeks, Kentucky Derby winner Country House attempts the next step in his Triple Crown quest. NBC Sports’ coverage of The 144th Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Md., begins Friday, May 17 at 3 p.m. ET on NBCSN. NBC presents The Preakness Stakes on Saturday, May 18 at 5:00 p.m. ET, with coverage beginning at 2 p.m. ET on NBCSN.
| PREAKNESS STAKES COVERAGE | |||
| Date | Time | Event | Network |
| Fri., May 17 | 3 p.m. | Black Eyed Susan | NBCSN |
| Sat., May 18 | 2 p.m. | Preakness Saturday | NBCSN |
| Sat., May 18 | 5:00 p.m. | Preakness Stakes | NBC |
KENTUCKY DERBY VIEWERSHIP (*TV + DIGITAL)
| 2019 | 16.5 million* | NBC | Country House |
| 2018 | 15.0 million* | NBC | Justify |
| 2017 | 16.5 million* | NBC | Always Dreaming |
| 2016 | 15.6 million* | NBC | Nyquist |
| 2015 | 16.1 million* | NBC | American Pharoah |
| 2014 | 15.4 million* | NBC | California Chrome |
| 2013 | 16.2 million* | NBC | Orb |
| 2012 | 14.8 million* | NBC | I’ll Have Another |
| 2011 | 14.5 million* | NBC | Animal Kingdom |
| 2010 | 16.5 million | NBC | Super Saver |
| 2009 | 16.1 million | NBC | Mine That Bird |
| 2008 | 14.2 million | NBC | Big Brown |
| 2007 | 13.7 million | NBC | Street Sense |
| 2006 | 12.9 million | NBC | Barbaro |
| 2005 | 13.6 million | NBC | Giacomo |
| 2004 | 14.6 million | NBC | Smarty Jones |
| 2003 | 11.8 million | NBC | Funny Cide |
| 2002 | 12.8 million | NBC | War Emblem |
| 2001 | 13.5 million | NBC | Monarchos |
| 2000 | 9.1 million | ABC | Fusaichi Pegasus |
| 1999 | 9.9 million | ABC | Charismatic |
| 1998 | 9.5 million | ABC | Real Quiet |
| 1997 | 11.3 million | ABC | Silver Charm |
| 1996 | 11.0 million | ABC | Grindstone |
| 1995 | 9.3 million | ABC | Thunder Gulch |
| 1994 | 12.2 million | ABC | Go For Gin |
| 1993 | 11.5 million | ABC | Sea Hero |
| 1992 | 13.7 million | ABC | Lil E Tee |
| 1991 | 13.4 million | ABC | Strike The Gold |
| 1990 | 15.6 million | ABC | Unbridled |
| 1989 | 18.5 million | ABC | Sunday Silence |
TOP METERED MARKETS FOR 2019 KENTUCKY DERBY (Race Portion)
| 1. | Louisville | 39.5/69 |
| 2. | Cincinnati | 20.3/38 |
| 3. | Ft. Myers | 19.4/37 |
| 4. | Indianapolis | 18.6/34 |
| 5. | Knoxville | 17.9/30 |
| T6. | Dayton | 17.6/33 |
| T6. | Buffalo | 17.6/32 |
| 8. | West Palm Beach | 17.1/31 |
| 9. | Tampa | 16.5/32 |
| 10. | Columbus | 16.2/31 |
| 11. | Providence | 15.7/29 |
| 12. | Boston | 15.4/33 |
| 13. | Cleveland | 14.9/30 |
| 14. | Orlando | 14.8/31 |
| 15. | Baltimore | 14.3/30 |
| 16. | Hartford | 13.4/26 |
| 17. | New Orleans | 13.1/23 |
| 18. | Pittsburgh | 13.0/27 |
| T19. | Greenville | 12.7/21 |
| T19. | Milwaukee | 12.7/27 |
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