NBC Sports Celebrates Their 25th Telecast of the Kentucky Derby

NBC Sports is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Kentucky Derby, Preakness Stakes, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Championship Invitational Series.

NBC Sports and The Kentucky Derby 

NBC Sports will continue to present the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock through 2032, as Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and NBC Sports recently announced a multi-year extension of their partnership.

The extension of the NBC Sports-Churchill Downs relationship – which began with the 2001 “Run for the Roses” – makes NBC the longest running home of the Kentucky Derby, as NBCUniversal will become the first media company to present the most prestigious event in horse racing for three decades (32 editions of the Kentucky Derby from 2001-32).

Last year, the 150th Derby averaged a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 16.7 million viewers – marking the largest Kentucky Derby audience since 1989, and on Peacock, the “Run for the Roses” posted NBC Sports’ largest streaming audience for a horse racing event nearly doubling the year prior. 

See below to learn more about the 2025 Kentucky Derby.

When is the 2025 Kentucky Derby?

The 151st annual Kentucky Derby will take place on Saturday, May 3, at historic Churchill Downs

2025 Kentucky Derby Leaderboard Standings:

As the excitement for the “Run for the Roses” rises, so does the competition. Click here to see the current 2025 Kentucky Derby standings.

How to Watch the 2025 Kentucky Derby:

Fans can watch the 151st Kentucky Derby live on Saturday, May 3, with coverage beginning at 12 PM ET on USA Network and NBC, or stream it live on Peacock.