FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, April 29th, 2021

JIMMY FALLON, SETH MEYERS & AMBER RUFFIN TO PICK KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS ACROSS NBC SPORTS’ COVERAGE THIS SAT., MAY 1 AT 2:30 PM ET

U.S. Track & Field Star Noah Lyles, Reigning 200m World Champion, Among Featured Derby Day Interviews

TODAY, Access Hollywood, Bravo, CNBC and More Celebrate Kentucky Derby Festivities as NBCUniversal Surrounds Derby Day

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 29, 2021 – NBC Sports celebrates the 147th Kentucky Derby, highlighted by a five-hour live NBC broadcast from Churchill Downs at 2:30 p.m. ET this Saturday, May 1. A complete schedule of NBC Sports Group’s exclusive coverage of the Kentucky Derby is available here.

In preparation for the Derby, NBC Sports asked a number of celebrities and NBCUniversal personalities for their horse picks, including Jimmy Fallon (The Tonight Show Starring Jimmy Fallon), Seth Meyers (Late Night with Seth Meyers), Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show), and more. Their picks will be revealed across NBC Sports’ social media platforms and on-air during NBC’s Kentucky Derby broadcast on Saturday.

During Saturday’s Derby coverage, Mike Tirico and Sanya Richards-Ross will interview U.S. Track & Field star and reigning 200m World Champion Noah Lyles, who is expected to compete in this summer’s Tokyo Olympics. Jac Collinsworth will interview singer Tori Kelly, who will perform the national anthem before the Kentucky Derby, and Collinsworth and Richards-Ross will speak with renowned chef Edward Lee, who is based in Lexington, Kentucky.

Viewers are encouraged to take the party online and post their home Derby Party experiences using #KYDerby this Saturday.

ON HER TURF: The On Her Turf Instagram account will present social media coverage this week, including an Instagram takeover with NBC’s Kentucky Derby reporter Britney Eurton during the Kentucky Oaks on Friday.

EVERY PLATFORM, EVERY MOMENT: NBC Sports will be everywhere on every social media platform during Derby Week, bringing fans closer to the first leg of the Triple Crown. Follow @NBCSports on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram for live looks around Churchill Downs at this once-in-a-lifetime event.

A wide range of NBCUniversal properties joined NBC Sports Group in celebrating the cultural and entertainment spectacle that is the Kentucky Derby. A summary of Kentucky Derby Week activities and activations are below:

THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW: Kentucky Derby themed segments with Derby Party & Mint Juleps.

ACCESS HOLLYWOOD & ACCESS DAILY: Derby Party Segment: Food & Drink.

TODAY: Extensive Kentucky Derby coverage & segments throughout the week.

CNBC: CNBC reporter Frank Holland will be on-site reporting for CNBC’s business day programming and “The News with Shepard Smith.”

THE TONIGHT SHOW: Returns a special “Puppy Predictor” segment.

BRAVO: Bravo’s Hit Reality Show, Summer House aired a full Derby-focused episode entitled “Derby Days” on April 15.

NBC SPORTS EDGE: “Bet the Edge,” NBC Sports EDGE’s new daily sports betting podcast, continues to have daily Kentucky Derby segments throughout the week. Steve Kornacki, NBC News’ and MSNBC’s celebrated national political correspondent who will join NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby coverage this Saturday, will join Friday’s show.

PEACOCK, NBC AFFILIATES, OWNED STATIONS AND NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS: Will feature Kentucky Derby-focused talent interviews throughout the week.

NBC Sports kicks off more than 13 hours of Kentucky Derby Week action tomorrow, Friday, April 30 with live coverage of the Kentucky Oaks beginning at Noon ET on NBCSN. Saturday’s live Derby coverage begins with Kentucky Derby Prep at Noon ET on NBCSN. In total, NBC Sports will televise 17 live races.

Earlier this week, NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby team previewed Saturday’s race on a media conference call. Click here for the transcript.

NBC SPORTS AUDIO: In partnership with Horse Racing Radio Network (HRRN), NBC Sports Audio Network will present live Kentucky Derby coverage beginning Saturday, May 1 at 5 p.m. ET featuring host Mike Penna and analysts Kurt Becker, Tom Leach, Jeff Bloom and Dan Mason. The broadcast will include a simulcast of the live race call by NBC Sports’ Larry Collmus. This is the seventh consecutive year HRRN and NBC Sports have teamed to produce radio coverage of the Triple Crown, which will be available throughout North America on NBC Sports Audio channel on SiriusXM channel 211 along with terrestrial affiliates throughout the United States.  Live streaming and a listing of affiliates can also be accessed via the HRRN website, www.horseracingradio.net. HRRN is available on SiriusXM channels 209 and 201.

KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM & THE NBC SPORTS APP: NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream live coverage to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast. NBC Sports.com, the NBC Sports app, and Peacock – NBCUniversal’s streaming service – will provide a full race replay of the Kentucky Derby.

NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001, and the Belmont Stakes since 2011, when NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown.

–NBC SPORTS–