Ratings Reference

Kentucky Derby

Nielsen average audience: 14,400,000 viewers (final), per Sports Media Watch.

Aired
2023-05-06 Saturday
Networks
NBC
14,400,000
Nielsen avg audience · via press
single source · final
figures last changed 2023-05-09

Published figures

JSON
Nielsen1 figure
average audience
match only · final
press-attributed · Sports Media Watch
14,400,000
Saturday's race portion of the Kentucky Derby averaged a 6.9 rating and 14.4 million viewers on NBC, per Nielsen fast-nationals Sports Media Watch, verbatim
1 press attribution · no provider-published figure · single source
press-attributed = reported by press citing the provider

Prior-season comparable

15,790,000
2022-05-07 · NBC · Nielsen, final · Sports Media Watch
−8.8% vs the comparable
Site-computed: same league, same weekday, both on NBC, nearest to 52 weeks earlier; Nielsen average, final or revised.

Kentucky Derby by year

2009–2026
Record
18.0M 2026
This telecast
#4 of 6 Panel + Out-of-Home
Years on record
15 2009–2026
Nielsen average audience · one telecast per year
5M10M15M20M2023 · Kentucky Derby · 14.4M2009 · Kentucky Derby · 16.3M2010 · Kentucky Derby · 16.5M2011 · Kentucky Derby · 14.5M2012 · Kentucky Derby · 14.8M2013 · Kentucky Derby · 16.2M2015 · Kentucky Derby · 16.0M2016 · Kentucky Derby · 15.5M2019 · Kentucky Derby · 16.3M2020 · Kentucky Derby · 9.3M2021 · Kentucky Derby · 14.4M2022 · Kentucky Derby · 15.8M2023 · Kentucky Derby · 14.4M2024 · Kentucky Derby · 16.0M2025 · Kentucky Derby · 17.7M2026 · Kentucky Derby · 18.0M2010201520202025
  • Before Out-of-Homebefore Sept 2020
  • Panel + Out-of-HomeSept 2020 – Sept 2025
  • Big Data + Panelsince Sept 2025
15 eligible telecasts · computed 2026-10-30 23:08 UTC
Nielsen average audience · one telecast per year
YearTelecastAvg audience
2009Kentucky Derby16,300,000
2010Kentucky Derby16,500,000
2011Kentucky Derby14,540,000
2012Kentucky Derby14,800,000
2013Kentucky Derby16,200,000
2015Kentucky Derby16,000,000
2016Kentucky Derby15,500,000
2019Kentucky Derby16,340,000
2020Kentucky Derby9,260,000
2021Kentucky Derby14,370,000
2022Kentucky Derby15,790,000
2023Kentucky Derby14,400,000
2024Kentucky Derby15,970,000
2025Kentucky Derby17,700,000
2026Kentucky Derby18,030,000