2016 Kentucky Derby overnight Nielsens

[thespaah]

Looks like quite a few less of us decided to watch the NBC telecast of the KY Derby...Not good.
I can see the TC races going over to a cable partner.

http://www.bloodhorse.com/horse-racing/articles/211491/overnight-tv-rating-for-derby-down-from-2015?source=rss

[tanner12oz]

would be nice to have it on a sports channel and treat it as a sport vs. entertainment.

its getting worse every year its like the WWF

[castaway01]

While the rating was down, an average of 15.5 million people watched the show. The race itself had 17.9 million viewers.

For comparison with other sporting events on the same day, the NBA playoff game had 4.2 million viewers, and the first NHL playoff game did 3 million viewers. However, the NHL game that followed the race on NBC had 4.2 million viewers and was the 2nd-highest non-Stanley Cup Final rating in 23 years.

For another comparison, the World Series averaged 14.7 million viewers.

So, it's still a great rating and provided a powerful lead-in. Actually, it's an amazing rating considering horse racing's invisibility the rest of the year.

[dilanesp]

Yeah, the only TC race that has a chance of moving to cable is the Belmont. It was an option in the last ABC contract but even there they never exercised it, which tells you something.

[barahona44]

Yeah, the only TC race that has a chance of moving to cable is the Belmont. It was an option in the last ABC contract but even there they never exercised it, which tells you something.
Safe to say that if a network ceded the Belmont to cable TV, then they would reserve the right to broadcast it if a TC winner was at stake.

[Redboard]

Yeah, the only TC race that has a chance of moving to cable is the Belmont. It was an option in the last ABC contract but even there they never exercised it, which tells you something.

I think I figured out the general public. Most watch the Kentucky derby. If the kd winner runs in the Preakness, they watch that. If there's a triple crown on the line, they watch the Belmont. The Belmont would only go cable if there wasn't a triple crown attempt.

[Bennie]

Maybe the viewing audience was down because of people like me that were planted in front of the computer screen for over an hour waiting for TVG to get their crap together and fix their major screw-up so we could bet on the Derby:mad:

[dilanesp]

Safe to say that if a network ceded the Belmont to cable TV, then they would reserve the right to broadcast it if a TC winner was at stake.

That was, I'm sure, the idea. But even with that option, ABC never exercised their right and put the Belmont on ESPN even when no TC was at stake. I'd say that proves that the TC has a pretty firm footing on network TV.

[cutchemist42]

The broadcast is just bad, just nauseating. Wish it got the treatment FS gave the Jockey Club Tour with actual discussion of the races. None of those undercard races were even touched on, they were simply shown.

[BettinBilly]

Unfortunately, NBC has to cater to the "General Viewing Public" at large, and not Horseplayers and sportsmen as a much smaller percentage. Even NBC touched on the fact that Horse Racing as a sport had been relegated to the fringe since the 70's, with last years TC helping the popularity of the sport, but not curing it.

So we have a "show" for the general public rather than a sporting even for the sportsmen. Johnny Weir is dressed in drag and the General Public gets to see what hat he's wearing this year. Sad but true.

All this being said, it could be worse. The race is covered on a major national network, and we do get "some" professional coverage talking about the actual sport and the handicapping thereof.

[dilanesp]

Unfortunately, NBC has to cater to the "General Viewing Public" at large, and not Horseplayers and sportsmen as a much smaller percentage. Even NBC touched on the fact that Horse Racing as a sport had been relegated to the fringe since the 70's, with last years TC helping the popularity of the sport, but not curing it.

So we have a "show" for the general public rather than a sporting even for the sportsmen. Johnny Weir is dressed in drag and the General Public gets to see what hat he's wearing this year. Sad but true.

All this being said, it could be worse. The race is covered on a major national network, and we do get "some" professional coverage talking about the actual sport and the handicapping thereof.

Honestly, I think it's possible to both do the fashion show / social event coverage of the Derby AND cover some serious handicapping given the length of NBC's show.

So I don't think they should get rid of Weir and Lipinsky (that element IS a part of the Derby pageantry just like mint juleps and "My Old Kentucky Home"), but there's no excuse for not doing some handicapping of each of the races they show.