Historic Viewership Numbers

The recent live coverage of the 151st Kentucky Derby has set a remarkable milestone for NBC, attracting an average of 17.7 million viewers, the highest since 1989. At its peak, the broadcast reached an astonishing 21.8 million viewers, establishing a new record for the network during this prestigious event.

Streaming Achievements

Peacock, NBC’s streaming service, reported record traffic during the Derby, leading all partner streamers. Furthermore, this event marked the largest streaming audience ever recorded for a horse racing event, with an average of 959,000 viewers participating via NBC Sports. Across all platforms, the Derby maintained a cumulative audience exceeding 15 million viewers.

Victory at the Derby

Sovereignty emerged as the winner of the 151st Kentucky Derby, taking home an impressive prize of $3.1 million. The horse, ridden by jockey Junior Alvarado, celebrated his inaugural victory at this hallmark race.

Notable Competitors

Following Sovereignty, several notable competitors included Journalism, Baeza, and The Ultimate Gambit, with a total of 19 horses participating in this year’s race. Journalism notably entered the race with a strong betting position at 7/2 odds, while Sovereignty was listed at 9-1, and America’s Promise at 11-1.

Prize Distribution

The total purse for the Derby amounted to $5 million, distributed among the top five finishers as follows:

• 1st place: $3.1 million
• 2nd place: $1 million
• 3rd place: $500,000
• 4th place: $250,000
• 5th place: $150,000

Jockey Junior Alvarado’s share of the victory prize translates to $310,000, constituting 10% of the first-place winnings.

Competitors in Focus

In addition to Sovereignty and the aforementioned top contenders, other horses in the race included Citizen Bull, NeoCos, American Promise, Daytona, Flying Mohawk, East Avenue, Publisher, Tiztastic, Render Judgment, Cole Battle, Gold Hulk, and Owen Almighty.