FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Monday, April 29th, 2019

NBC SPORTS COVERS EVERY ANGLE OF THE 145TH KENTUCKY DERBY WITH 5-HOUR SHOW THIS SATURDAY, MAY 4, LIVE AT 2:30 P.M. ET ON NBC

NBC & NBCSN Present Three Days of Live Derby Week Coverage Thursday-Saturday; All Coverage Livestreamed on NBCSports.com & the NBC Sports app

For First Time, Saturday Coverage Includes “Live Look-ins” From Derby Parties Across the Country, including at Indianapolis Motor Speedway, Home of the Indy 500

NBC Blankets Every Inch of Churchill Downs With 50+ Cameras, Including New Super Slow-Motion Reverse Angle Finish Line Camera, Plus New Main Pre-Race Set Location in Paddock

NBC Sports Radio to Air Live Derby Day Coverage; On Her Turf and The Mike Tirico Podcast Highlight Kentucky Derby

STAMFORD, Conn. – April 29, 2019 – The Road to the Triple Crown begins this week, highlighted by NBC’s live five-hour Kentucky Derby Day telecast this Saturday, May 4 at 2:30 p.m. ET. NBC Sports kicks off more than 18 hours of Kentucky Derby Week action this Thursday, May 2 with live coverage beginning at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN, followed by live Kentucky Oaks coverage Friday at Noon ET and 5 p.m. ET. Saturday’s live Derby coverage begins at Noon ET on NBCSN.

Following are highlights of NBC Sports’ coverage of the 145th Kentucky Derby, which includes more than seven live hours on Derby Day between NBC and NBCSN.

  • Live coverage of 18 races on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday:
    • Four live races on Thursday, May 2, at 4 p.m. ET on NBCSN
    • Six live races on Friday, May 3, at Noon ET and 5 p.m. ET on NBCSN
    • Eight live races on Saturday during NBCSN (Noon ET) and NBC Derby Day (2:30 p.m. ET) coverage, including five live races in the NBC show.
  • NBC Sports aerial backstretch camera will return, offering a perspective from 15-18 feet above the track and traveling up to 80 mph;
  • NBC Sports will cover every inch of Churchill Downs with more than 50 cameras, including a new robotic reverse-angle super slow-motion camera on the finish line; a helmet camera on the outrider for all races Thursday-Saturday (escorts the winning horse and jockey to the winner’s circle); an 80-foot high main camera tower, plus a new 50-foot high camera on a tower in the middle of Turn 2, a robotic camera in the paddock saddling area, and a camera focused on race caller Larry Collmus;
  • Multiple jockeys will be mic’d to enhance on-track audio;
  • For the first time, Mike Tirico, Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss will be located on a new showcase set in the highly-trafficked paddock area for the first half of the Saturday NBC show;
  • For the first time, NBC Sports presents “live look-ins” on Saturday from several Derby parties across the nation, including at locations in Denver, New York City, Las Vegas, and at the Indianapolis Motor Speedway. NBC Sports will present its first ever Indianapolis 500 on Sunday, May 26, with live coverage on NBC beginning at 11 a.m. ET.
    • NBC’s “Kentucky Derby Party” live look-in locations:
City Location
Denver, CO Denver Performing Art Complex
Indianapolis, IN Indianapolis Motor Speedway
Las Vegas, NV Primrose at Park MGM
New York, NY Red Rooster

 

Among the features on NBC’s Kentucky Derby coverage:

  • Mike Tirico presents the story of Triple Crown-winning jockey Mike Smith;
  • Rebecca Lowe, who makes her Kentucky Derby debut, interviews Hall of Fame trainer Bob Baffert at Santa Anita Park;
  • Jerry Bailey and Randy Moss go “around the barns” to meet the contenders of the 145th Kentucky Derby;
  • Lowe has a look at Triple Crown-winning horses Justify and American Pharoah in Lexington;
  • Larry Collmus discusses the hidden stories behind horses’ names;
  • Rutledge Wood hosts a special pop culture trivia game with fans on the grounds of Churchill Downs;
  • Sports Illustrated writer Tim Layden presents an essay on the equine fatalities at Santa Anita;
  • Celebrity chef Bobby Flay joins Rebecca Lowe for a special cooking segment to create the perfect southern-themed dish for a Kentucky Derby party.

COMMENTATORS: NBC Sports Group’s coverage of the Kentucky Derby features host Mike Tirico and co-host Rebecca Lowe; analysts Randy Moss and Jerry Bailey, the Hall of Fame jockey and two-time Kentucky Derby winner; handicappers/reporters Eddie Olczyk and Britney Eurton; reporters Donna Brothers (also on horseback), Kenny Rice, Nick Luck, Laffit Pincay III, and Ahmed Fareed, who makes his Kentucky Derby debut and also hosts NBCSN’s earlier coverage; and race caller Larry Collmus. NBC News weather anchor and correspondent Dylan Dreyer reprises her role as a fashion and lifestyle correspondent; Super Bowl MVP Von Miller joins Dreyer for several segments in his Kentucky Derby debut; and NASCAR on NBC analyst Dale Earnhardt Jr. also makes his Kentucky Derby debut, joining NBC Sports Group’s NASCAR features reporter Rutledge Wood to offer some unique storytelling.

The coordinating producer of NBC’s horse racing coverage is Rob Hyland, who has been a part of the network’s horse racing coverage since 2001. The Kentucky Derby is directed by Sunday Night Football and NBC Sports’ horse racing director Drew Esocoff. The coverage on NBCSN is produced by Billy Matthews and directed by Pierre Moossa. Executive producer and president, production, NBC Sports and NBCSN is Sam Flood.

MORE THAN 30 HOURS OF TRIPLE CROWN HORSE RACING:

NBC Sports Group will present more than 30 hours of Triple Crown coverage this season from Churchill Downs, Pimlico and Belmont Park, including live racing from all three tracks prior to the Triple Crown races. This spring marks the ninth consecutive year that all three Triple Crown races will air on NBC.

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NBC SPORTS GROUP TRIPLE CROWN COVERAGE (All Times ET):

KENTUCKY DERBY
Date Time Event Network
Thurs., May 2 Noon Road to the Kentucky Derby NBCSN
Thurs., May 2 2 p.m. Kentucky Derby Classics NBCSN
Thurs., May 2 4 p.m. Kentucky Derby Access NBCSN
Fri., May 3 Noon Kentucky Oaks NBCSN
Fri., May 3 5 p.m. Kentucky Oaks NBCSN
Sat., May 4 Noon Kentucky Derby Prep NBCSN
Sat., May 4 2:30 p.m. Kentucky Derby NBC

 

PREAKNESS STAKES
Date Time Event Network
Fri., May 17 3 p.m. Black-Eyed Susan Stakes NBCSN
Sat., May 18 2 p.m. Preakness Prep NBCSN
Sat., May 18 5 p.m. Preakness Stakes NBC

 

BELMONT STAKES
Date Time Event Network
Fri., June 7 5 p.m. Belmont Stakes Access NBCSN
Sat., June 8 2:30 p.m. Belmont Stakes Prep NBCSN
Sat., June 8 4 p.m. Belmont Stakes NBC

 

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KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE ON NBCSPORTS.COM & THE NBC SPORTS APP

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app — NBC Sports Group’s live streaming product for mobile devices, tablets, and connected TVs — will present a digital-only 10–minute “Ultimate Kentucky Derby Primer” on Thursday, May 2, featuring Randy Moss, Jerry Bailey and Eddie Olczyk. The trio will preview this year’s race and break down the odds.

NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app will stream all NBC and NBCSN coverage to desktops, mobile, tablets, and connected TVs via “TV Everywhere,” giving consumers additional value to their subscription service, and making high-quality content available to MVPD customers both in and out of the home and on multiple platforms. The full HD-quality video stream will come directly from NBC’s broadcasts. NBCSports.com and the NBC Sports app are powered by Playmaker Media and available on the iTunes App Store, Google Play, Windows Store, Roku Channel Store, Apple TV, Amazon Fire, Samsung Smart TVs, Xbox, and Chromecast.

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NBC SPORTS RADIO KENTUCKY DERBY COVERAGE

NBC Sports Radio will present 2.5 hours of live Kentucky Derby race coverage beginning Saturday, May 4 at 5 p.m. ET featuring host Mike Penna and Hall of Fame jockey and three-time Kentucky Derby champion Gary Stevens, who will serve as an analyst. NBC Sports Radio’s The Daily Line will present a two hour pre-race show from 3-5 p.m. ET on Saturday.

On a special episode of The Mike Tirico Podcast, Mike is joined by SI’s Tim Layden, to discuss the state of horse racing, preview this year’s Kentucky Derby, and recount some of the greatest longshot winners in Derby history, including Mine That Bird and Giacomo.  This week’s episode is available here.

In addition, Kathryn Tappen interviews Donna Brothers and Britney Eurton for a special Derby-themed episode of the On Her Turf podcast, available on Thursday, May 2.

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NBC SPORTS GROUP AND HORSE RACING: NBC Sports Group is the exclusive home to the most important and prestigious events in horse racing, including the Triple Crown, the Breeders’ Cup World Championships, Royal Ascot, and Pegasus World Cup Invitational Series. NBC has been the exclusive home of the Kentucky Derby and the Preakness Stakes since 2001, and the Belmont Stakes since 2011, when NBC Sports Group reassembled the Triple Crown. The 2018 Kentucky Derby posted a Total Audience Delivery (TAD) of 15.0 million viewers across NBC and NBC Sports Digital platforms – marking the sixth consecutive year that Kentucky Derby viewership averaged at least 15 million viewers. NBC’s six-year streak averaging 15 million Kentucky Derby viewers is the longest in People Meter history (since 1988).

–NBC SPORTS–