Hours before Mystik Dan won the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs and NBC Sports extended their contract to 2032.
NBC Sports will continue to present the Kentucky Derby on NBC and Peacock through 2032, as Churchill Downs Incorporated (CDI) and NBC Sports today 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” – will make 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 from 2001-32). Prior to NBC, the race aired on ABC (1975-2000) and CBS (1952-1974).
“As we celebrate the 150th running of the Kentucky Derby, Churchill Downs is proud to extend the relationship with NBC Sports,” said Churchill Downs CEO Bill Carstanjen. “As our media partner for the last 23 years, NBC has artfully captured the most exciting two minutes in sports and the spectacle of the senses that surrounds it.”
“Telling the rich stories surrounding the Kentucky Derby on the first Saturday in May is part of the fabric of NBC Sports, and we are thrilled to continue that tradition with Churchill Downs,” said Rick Cordella, President, NBC Sports. “We look forward to surrounding the Kentucky Oaks and Kentucky Derby with wall-to-wall coverage and extensive promotion on the platforms of NBCUniversal.”
The extension includes multiplatform rights to the Kentucky Derby, Kentucky Oaks, and Derby and Oaks Day programming, which will be presented on NBC, Peacock, USA Network and additional NBCU platforms.
The race is currently as America’s oldest continuously held major sporting event. Coverage of this year’s 150th “Run for the Roses” aired on both NBC and Peacock.
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