NBC abruptly cut Kentucky Derby live coverage, sparking fan outrage
NBC abruptly cut its 2026 Kentucky Derby coverage to shift to NBA playoffs, causing horse racing fans to miss the garland of roses ceremony.
Horse racing fans weren't happy with NBC about its abrupt end to the live coverage of the history-making Kentucky Derby 152 . And basketball fans weren’t too keen on the network either, having had to wait longer than expected to see an NBA playoff matchup. Not long after Golden Tempo won the Derby — making Cherie DeVaux the first winning female trainer in the history of the race and giving veteran jockey Jose Ortiz his first Derby win — the Peacock network cut coverage and shifted to game seven of the 76ers and the Celtics playoff series.
Television viewers didn't get to see the traditional draping of the winning horse with the garland of roses in the Winner's Circle at the Kentucky Derby. The NBA game, being played in Boston, was scheduled to start at 7:30 p. m.
Eastern. The race festivities went past that time. “What The Bloody Hell???!
@nbc Cuts Away From Draping the Blanket of Red Roses on The Incredible Kentucky Derby Win…??? For The First Few Minutes of Basketball? BLOODY HELL DAMN SCHEDULING,” one person posted on X.