NBC has to be pleased about the viewership for the Kentucky Derby. As Orb circled the Churchill Downs track to win the 139th edition of the Run for the Roses, an estimated 16.2 million people watched the race marking the third time in five years that the Kentucky Derby has reached over 16 million viewers. The number is 9% higher than last year and 12% from 2011.
Overall, the Derby hit a 9.7 rating with a 21 share and that’s up 8% from 2012. So you can surmise that NBC’s strategy to promote the race on its multiple platforms is very successful.
By the way, Louisville had the highest rating of all local markets with an astonishing 43.7 rating with a 69 share. That’s amazing number.
Here’s NBC’s press release.
16.2 MILLION WATCH KENTUCKY DERBY ON NBC
2nd Most-Watched Kentucky Derby Since 1989
Viewership up 9% from Last Year; Up 12% from 2011
9.7 National Rating up 8% from Last Year; Up 14% from 2011
NBC Sports ‘Big Event Strategy’ Leads to More Than 16 Million Viewers for 3rd Time in 5 yearsNEW YORK – May 7, 2013 – NBC Sports’ coverage of Saturday’s Kentucky Derby drew 16.2 million viewers, making it the second most-watched Kentucky Derby since 1989. The viewership for the race is up nine percent from last year’s Derby (14.8 million), and up 12 percent from the Derby in 2011 (14.5 million), according to official national data provided today by The Nielsen Company.
Utilizing NBC Sports’ ‘Big Event Strategy,’ three of the last five Kentucky Derby races have recorded at least 16 million viewers.
Saturday’s race (6:05-6:53 p.m. ET), won by Orb, is the second most-watched Kentucky Derby dating back to 1989 (18.5 million on ABC), only surpassed by the 2010 Derby won by Super Saver (16.5 million).
- The household rating of 9.7/21 is the best since 2010 (9.8/23), and tied 2009 as the second highest-rated Derby since 1992 (10.3/30 on ABC).
- The 9.7/21 rating is up eight percent from last year’s race (9.0/20) and up 14 percent from 2011 (8.5/19).
- The pre-race on NBC (5-6:05 p.m. ET) drew 9.1 million viewers, an increase of 12 percent from last year (8.1 million) and is the second-best pre-race viewership dating back to 1992.
- NBC Sports Network’s five-hour pre-race show (11 a.m. – 4 p.m. ET) drew 500k viewers, up 19 percent from last year (421k).
MORE PEOPLE WATCH THE DERBY ON NBC: NBC Sports’ coverage of the Kentucky Derby over the last 13 races averages more than 2 million more viewers than the previous 12 Kentucky Derby broadcasts on ABC (14.3 million vs.12.0 million, up 19 percent). NBC’s average viewership of 14.3 million over the last 13 Kentucky Derby broadcasts is more than six million more than the last six years that ABC aired the Derby (1995-2000).
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, 52 percent of Derby viewers were women, making it the only annual sporting event that draws more female viewers than male viewers.
KENTUCKY DERBY VIEWERSHIP
2013
16.2 million
NBC Orb
2012
14.8 million
NBC I’ll Have Another
2011
14.5 million
NBC Animal Kingdom
2010
16.5 million
NBC Super Saver
2009
16.1 million
NBC Mine That Bird
2008
14.2 million
NBC Big Brown
2007
13.7 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
13.5 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 2013 KENTUCKY DERBY (Race Portion)
1.
Louisville
43.7/69
2.
Ft. Myers
19.7/37
3.
Cincinnati
18.8/37
T4.
Knoxville
18.4/31
T4.
West Palm Beach
18.4/35
6.
Buffalo
15.9/33
7.
Oklahoma City
15.1/25
8.
Columbus
14.8/31
9.
Indianapolis
13.9/28
10.
Nashville
13.2/22
11.
Jacksonville
13.1/21
12.
Orlando
12.8/28
13.
Richmond
12.7/22
14.
Tampa-St. Pete
12.5/23
15.
Baltimore
12.4/26
T16.
Boston
12.2/28
T16.
Washington D.C.
12.2/27
18.
Dayton
11.7/24
19.
Minneapolis-St. Paul
11.6/28
T20.
Greensboro
11.5/23
T20.
New York
11.5/26
That’s all.
