NBC Bets on a Bigger Kentucky Derby Weekend
The Oaks moved to primetime, and Fanta will report from the infield.
Even before the first mint julep is poured on Saturday, the Kentucky Derby has already planted a flag as a growing sports-media property. On Friday, NBC aired the Kentucky Oaks—the Derby’s filly counterpart—in primetime for the first time. Previously run in the late afternoon, the Oaks’s shift to an 8 p.
m. ET time slot says plenty about how valuable NBC views the entire weekend at Churchill Downs. “I think it’s going to [put] the Kentucky Oaks, which is one of the best races on the racing calendar, in front of so many eyeballs and so many people,” NBC Sports senior producer Lindsay Schanzer said on a conference call earlier this week.
“It’s going to be great for Churchill Downs, great for the industry, and it’s going to kick off the weekend in a really strong way. ” But while the Oaks enjoyed its biggest platform yet, the Derby remains the weekend’s main event. The race has established itself as one of NBC’s most reliable properties, with 2025’s event drawing 17.
7 million viewers , its most since 1989. Coverage begins at 2:30 p. m.