14.8 Million Watch Kentucky Derby on NBC

14.8 MILLION WATCH KENTUCKY DERBY ON NBC

Viewership up from Last Year; 3^rd Most-Watched Kentucky Derby in 23 Years

9.0 National rating up 6% from Last Year

Fourth Straight Year NBC’s Coverage Surpasses 14.5 Million

NBC Sports’ coverage of the Kentucky Derby over the last 12 years averages more than 2 million more viewers than the previous 12 Kentucky Derby broadcasts on ABC (14.1 million vs.12.0 million, up 17 percent).

Saturday’s race (6:06-6:54 p.m. ET), won by I’ll Have Another, is up two percent from last year’s 14.5 million, making it the third most-watched Kentucky Derby since 1989 when Sunday Silence won the Derby (18.5 million). The household rating of 9.0/20 is up six percent from last year’s race (8.5/19).

KENTUCKY DERBY CONTINUES TO BE A HIT WITH FEMALE VIEWERS: The Kentucky Derby once again proved to be very popular with female viewers. In fact, 51 percent of Derby viewers 18+ were women, making it the only annual sporting event that draws more female than male viewers.

KENTUCKY DERBY VIEWERSHIP

2012 14.8 million NBC I’ll Have Another
2011 14.5 million NBC Animal Kingdom
2010 16.5 million NBC Super Saver
2009 16.3 million NBC Mine That Bird
2008 14.2 million NBC Big Brown
2007 13.8 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 13.8 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 Grindestone
1995 9.3 million ABC Thunder Gulch
1994 12.1 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 2012 KENTUCKY DERBY

1. Louisville, 31.7/59
2. Cincinnati, 18.3/37
3. Ft. Myers, 17.0/31
T4. Hartford, 13.4/26
T4. West Palm Beach, 13.4/24
T4. Buffalo, 13.4/27
7. Columbus, 13.3/27
8. Knoxville, 13.0/24
9. St. Louis, 13.1/28
10. Boston, 12.8/31
11. Indianapolis, 12.2/25
12. Tampa, 12.1/26
13. Orlando, 11.7/26
14. Baltimore, 11.1/24
15. Richmond, 11.0/21
T16. Pittsburgh, 10.9/25
T16. Greensboro, 10.9/21
18. Milwaukee, 10.7/22
T19. New York, 10.4/23
T19. Nashville, 10.4/20
T19. Providence, 10.4/21
T19. Dayton, 10.4/21

PREAKNESS STAKES ON NBC SPORTS, MAY 19: In two weeks, Kentucky Derby winner I’ll Have Another, who arrived at Pimlico yesterday, will take one more step to try to become the first horse to win the Triple Crown in 33 years, since Affirmed in 1978. NBC Sports Group coverage of The Preakness Stakes from Pimlico Racecourse in Baltimore, Md., begins Friday, May 18 at 3 p.m. ET.

--NBC SPORTS GROUP--