FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Thursday, May 5th, 2022

BLAKE SHELTON, SETH MEYERS & HEIDI KLUM TO PICK KENTUCKY DERBY WINNERS DURING NBC SPORTS’ DERBY COVERAGE THIS SAT., MAY 7, AT 2:30 PM ET ON NBC & PEACOCK

Seven-Time NASCAR Cup Series Champion & Current NTT INDYCAR SERIES Driver Jimmie Johnson to be Featured During Derby Day Coverage

NBC News, E! News & The Kelly Clarkson Show to Feature Kentucky Derby Segments This Week as NBCUniversal Surrounds Derby Day

Veteran Horse Racing Handicapper Michelle Yu to Join NBC Sports’ Coverage this Weekend

STAMFORD, Conn. – May 5, 2022 – NBCUniversal presents a comprehensive slate of content and promotion ahead of and during the 148th Kentucky Derby this Saturday, May 7, at 2:30 p.m. ET on NBC and Peacock live from iconic Churchill Downs in Louisville, Kentucky. NBC Sports’ complete programming details surrounding its coverage of the Kentucky Derby and Kentucky Oaks are available here.

In preparation for the Derby, NBC Sports asked a number of celebrities and NBCUniversal personalities for their race picks, including Blake Shelton (The Voice), Seth Meyers (Late Night With Seth Meyers), Heidi Klum (America’s Got Talent), Andy Cohen (Watch What Happens Live with Andy Cohen), Amber Ruffin (The Amber Ruffin Show) and more. Their picks will be revealed during Kentucky Derby coverage this Saturday on NBC and Peacock.

Seven-time NASCAR Cup Series champion and current NTT INDYCAR SERIES driver Jimmie Johnson will be featured during Saturday’s coverage and will compete in his first Indianapolis 500 this month on Sunday, May 29 (11 a.m. ET on NBC). Professional WWE Raw wrestlers Bianca Belair and Montez Ford, who are married, will join NBC News’ Dylan Dreyer and E!’s Zanna Roberts Rassi on Derby Day for a fashion segment.

Veteran horse racing handicapper Michelle Yu will join NBC Sports’ Kentucky Oaks coverage this Friday on USA Network. Yu, who is based at Santa Anita Park, has worked on horse racing coverage for TVG, HRTV, Breeders’ Cup and Fox during her career.

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

NBC NEWS: NBC News’ Dylan Dreyer, who has previously been part of NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby and Royal Ascot horse racing coverage, and E!’s Zanna Roberts Rassi will serve as fashion correspondents during Saturday’s Derby coverage. Dreyer will also join chef Marcus Samuellsson for a cooking segment. TODAY will have a trio of guests join the show on-site from Churchill Downs on Friday: Mike Tirico, Steve Kornacki, and Dreyer.

E! NEWS: E! News integrated a Kentucky Derby promotion featuring chef Kelsey Barnard Clark during Daily Pop.

PREMIER LEAGUE: NBC Sports’ Premier League studio show, Premier League Mornings and Premier League Live, will be presented live from Churchill Downs this Saturday. Rebecca Lowe will host alongside analysts Robbie Earle, Robbie Mustoe, and Tim Howard from the paddock at the legendary racetrack. Lowe, who was part of NBC Sports’ 2019 Kentucky Derby team, will serve as a feature host on the “Run for the Roses” coverage following the Premier League matches. Click here for more details.

MLB SUNDAY LEADOFF: Players from the first MLB Sunday Leadoff matchup this Sunday between the Chicago White Sox and Boston Red Sox at 11:30 a.m. ET on NBC and Peacock, including Red Sox outfielder/designated hitter J.D. Martinez, made race picks.

THE KELLY CLARKSON SHOW: Chef and Kentucky native Damaris Phillips joined The Kelly Clarkson Show for a Kentucky Derby food and drink segment that featured hats from milliner Christine A. Moore.

XFINITY REWARDS: “Down and Derby at Churchill Downs – an Xfinity Rewards Experience” stars NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby insights analyst Steve Kornacki and NBC Sports’ “Bet the Edge” co-host Drew Disnick in Kentucky Derby food, drink and betting themed segments. The specials will be available exclusively for Xfinity Rewards members beginning tonight at 8 p.m. ET as well as on-demand on the X1 Platform.

CNBC: NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby host Mike Tirico will join CNBC’s Fast Money Halftime Report on Friday.

UNIVERSAL PICTURES: Rexy from Jurassic World Dominion will make a special appearance during Derby Day coverage promoting to the much-anticipated premiere of the film on June 10, 2022.

THE DAN PATRICK SHOW: Mike Tirico will join The Dan Patrick Show on Friday morning to preview the Kentucky Derby.

NBC SPORTS EDGE: “Bet the Edge,” NBC Sports’ betting-focused podcast, co-hosted by Sara Perlman and Drew Dinsick, continues to have daily Kentucky Derby previews throughout the week and will feature NBC Sports’ Kentucky Derby reporters Britney Eurton and Kenny Rice. Dinsick will also be joined on-site at Churchill Downs by Steve Kornacki and Randy Moss for handicapping segments across NBC Sports EDGE digital platforms.

NBC AFFILIATES, OWNED STATIONS AND NBC SPORTS REGIONAL NETWORKS: Kentucky Derby promotions will air throughout the week on NBC Affiliates, Owned Stations and NBC Sports Regional networks across the country, with analysis and commentary from NBC Sports’ horse racing team on local newscasts. Local coverage will also include home Derby Party experiences.

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 during this once-in-a-lifetime event.

NBC SPORTS AUDIO: The NBC Sports Audio Network will present a full day of live Kentucky Derby coverage, produced by SiriusXM, on Saturday, May 7, beginning at 10 a.m. ET on NBC Sports Audio (channel 85 on SiriusXM radios and the SXM App). A three-hour pre-race show, hosted by Patrick Meagher live from Churchill Downs, begins at 3 p.m. ET, followed by NBC Sports’ coverage of the 148th “Run for the Roses” from 6-7:30 p.m. ET. NBC Sports’ Larry Collmus will handle the live race call. This is the first year NBC Sports and SiriusXM have teamed to produce audio coverage of the Kentucky Derby.

NBCSPORTS.COM & NBC SPORTS APP: NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream live coverage to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via authentication, 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 AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports 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 reassembled the Triple Crown.

–NBC SPORTS–